Are You in or Out?
by Jetzelda
Summary: AU Hollow Bastion had fallen into ruin, and gangs have formed to fight over the city, but when three newcomers appear, will the fighting end, or just get worse. This is rated somewhere between T and M. AkuRoku SoRiku Zemyx and more.
1. Prologue

This is a new story I thought up during lunch when we began discussing who would be what deadly sin.

Disclaimer:I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters.

* * *

The city of Hollow Bastion had fallen into chaos. After the war of the century, The Seven Deadly Sins and various devils rose up from Hell, offering to make contracts with people to grant them power. Nowadays, two gangs have formed. One to take revenge against the city with the powers the Sins have granted them. And one to protect the city with the powers the Sins granted them.

* * *

The silence was ringing in his ears, so much that it hurt. He slid his sleeve up to glance at his wristwatch. What was that fool doing?

He was standing in the alley in the cool night air. A small blond in black jeans and a black hoodie. As if you hadn't already suspected, he was up to no good.

He glanced at his watch once more. Twenty after eleven. Ten minutes til action, and that fool was late.

He shuffled his feet and peeked out of the alley for the umpteenth time. Across the street from the alley was the Hollow Bastion auction house, where tonight the gorgon's eye was going to be auctioned off. The gorgon's eye was said to have the power to freeze people, if used properly. Masquerade had their eyes on it from the moment word reached their leader's ears.

Masquerade. That was the name given to the most dangerous gang residing in Hollow Bastion. The name was assigned to them by the police headquarters because of their attire during capers. Every member wore a mask of some sort. None of the members ever wore their mask unless they were fighting, or in the middle of a job.

This member didn't have a mask on, he simply had his hood up to hide his face, there was no need to wear the mask, yet.

Impatiently, he checked his watch once more. Five more minutes. He swore under his breath. If they failed because their diversion was late he wasn't going to take the shit their leader would dish out.

"Sorry!" The hooded glared at the end of the alley. A tall male in the wildest get up was jogging towards him, panting heavily. The male was wearing a shredded white dress, like from a wedding, but it was covered in a dark, fresh liquid. His chest bulged out greatly, which was what happened when you stuff a bra to the point of bursting, and his hair was sprayed down and curled. You wouldn't be able to even tell that it was a male until you looked him in the face, past the mascere, smeared on purpose to look like he had been crying. It was only supposed to fool the front guards in front of the auction house. "I had problems getting my DRESS to fit properly."

An unseen smirk played across the hooded one's face. "You're still hung up about that?"

"Of course I am! I'm being forced to wear drag over a stupid gem!"

"We've been over this before. It's that important."

"Why aren't YOU in drag then? Your size is way more convincing."

"Ignoring that comment. Get ready. We have less than two minutes till clock on."

"Alright." The one in the dress tapped the hooded one's face lightly. The hooded one pushed off the wall. He watched silently as the other in the dress walked to the end of the alley and peered out, carefully so he wouldn't be seen. "Five guards. As expected. None of them are contracted, right?"

"I've checked and double checked already. They are all normal, pathetic humans." The one in drag nodded. "Thirty seconds."

Everything became quieter. The cars were parked faraway in some separate lot. The aristocrats in the house were quieting down in their seats as the auctioneer began his welcoming speech, and the footsteps in the basement had halted, cut off by the duo outside's co-workers.

"Fifteen seconds." A crackle sounded in the hooded one's ear as a voice came through his hidden earpiece from the two in the auction house's basement.

"Clear."

Ten seconds

"Go Dem."

The boy took a deep breath, and began staggering out of the alley, like his legs were too tired to hold him up any longer. The guards didn't fail to notice him. The light from the street lamps and the auction house revealed the color of the liquid, red, dark red. He kept staggering until he got to the front steps of the auction house. He coughed a few times an rasped out in a cracking voice. "Please….Help…my…wedding….my darling…..blood…..so much blood…..please…so much…blood." He collapsed. The guards, like the chivalrous men they were, dashed down the steps to the fallen "woman."

That was all the two needed.

The cross dressed man moved so quickly that the guards could neither see nor feel what the youth did before it was too late.

He had slapped each one with his open palm on their bare faces. The men blinked when the realized that they had been hit and then cringed as a number begun to burn into the flesh that had been slapped.

They were puzzled until one noticed the evil grin that had played across the "girl"'s face, and that was all it took.

"Shit! It's a contractor!" One guard shouted whipping his gun out of his belt and aiming it at the male. The other guards followed suit.

The boy placed a hand over his face, and began to laugh. It started as chuckles, but soon developed into a deep throaty laugh, revealing his true gender. The laugh was laced with malice. "Such kind words. Aren't men supposed to be nicer to ladies?"

"Shut it you demon! State your name and-" He never finished. There was an explosion of red. And the guard that was speaking was dead.

The other guards stared horrified at where their comrade had once been. All that was there was a pair of standing legs, and blood splattered all over. The ground. The steps. The other guards. The boy called a "contractor."

The guards upper half had exploded.

The other guards begun to shake as they watched the boy reach into his dress and pull out a mask. A white mask that had slitted eyes and a smile with navy lips. "Won't you dance with me?" He asked as he slid the mask on over his face.

The guards froze. One opened his mouth to scream, and that was it. Blood flew everywhere, and that was the end of the guards.

There was moment of silence before the masked boy let out a dramatic sigh. "Clear Rox."

The boy slid his mask off just as the black blur off the hooded boy sped up the steps and through the glass double doors. "Be sure to bring home the bacon!" He called after the blur. He sighed and ran a hand through his stiff bloody hair. "Stupid Kairi. She has no idea how much gel I'll need to get my baby back."

The blur glided with grace through the brightly lit hall. The hood had been discarded, revealing golden spikes being flattened be the speed he was going. He too had a mask with slitted eyes, but unlike his friend's that had lips, his had no lips, and was black swirling in on white.

He turned corners and dodged the watchful eyes of surveillance cameras, having memorized the entire blueprints of the building. He knew exactly where to go. The auction room. If things were going as smoothly in the basement as they were topside, then the other two should be heading towards the fuse box.

He turned another corner and spotted the large brown double doors to the auction room at the end of the hall. The were open wide with two guards in the doorway, backs to him. The seconds until the lights would go out ticked in his head.

7. The auctioneer spotted him.

6. The man's eyes widened in shock.

5. The widened even more in realization and horror.

4. His mouth opened, as if to shout.

3. The people and guards turned to see what the man was gaping at.

2. The blond was at the door as the guards were turning and reaching for their guns.

1. He leaped, over the aisles, over screaming and pointing aristocrats, as the guards got their guns loose from their belts.

0. The lights went out.

The screams were louder and more in number. The blond land on the ground in between aisles and sped forward. The lights would only stay off for five minutes at the least. The two in the basement were supposed to get the hell out of the building as soon as the lights were off. The one in drag had taken some lighter fluid and drenched the front wall of the building, it would go up in flames the second the lights came back on.

The blond leaped when he was feet in front of the raised platform. He landed with ease and took a second to glance at the auction item on the pillow.

It was a small sphere, the size of a marble, that had a swirling milky gray color to it. The gorgon's eye.

He snatched it from the pillow without a second though and leapt from the platform.

The screaming hadn't stopped, but two beams of light shone from the entrance. The guards had pulled out flashlights. They pointed them around blindly until the blond was only feet from the exit. He was hit by the beam. The was a gunshot. A searing pain in the blond's right arm, just below the shoulder. The pain and force of the bullet threw off his landing and he swore audibly when hit the floor rolling, bringing another round of lead rain at him. He rolled to his feet and took off running, but not fast enough to avoid another bullet, just below where the first one hit.

He ran through the halls, turning where he needed just like before, only with his prize clutched in his the hand of his injured arm, and his injured arm clutched by his good one.

The glass doors came into view, just as the lights came on. He swore and tried to speed up. The dark night air became obscured by orange flames licking the sides of the building.

The blond never faltered. He sprinted through the doors without opening them. He leapt through the orange flames that burnt his close while shielding his face. He couldn't see, but knew he had passed through the flames when he was hit by the cool night air.

His feet collided with the ground with a hard jolt. He collapsed on his and hissed. His arm was burning with a fury. Those guard must have used blessed bullets.

"A little under the weather?" He glared up. His friends were standing above him with amused expression. The man that had taken care of the outside guards had discarded the dress, now topless, with a pair of blue jeans. The other was a little taller than the blond and wearing an identical outfit to the blond's. He had silver hair and was holding a mask in his hand that was black and only cover the upper portion of his face. The last one was a female that had yellow blond hair that had to strands sticking up and back, sort of like antenna. She wore a tight red dress with slits in the sides, showing that she had snuck in with the aristocrats, she had no mask in hand.

The woman laughed cruelly. "You really suck, Roxas. **Demyx** could've landed better than that."

The topless boy pouted. "Larxeeeeeneee. That's meeeeaan."

Roxas growled and squeezed his shoulder. "Not now. I got shot."

"So?"

"It was blessed."

Their expressions turned serious. The Silver hair one walked forward and crouched in front of the blond. "Where? Here?" Pointed to where the blond was clutching. He nodded. "Take the sweater off."

He complied. When it was off he noticed that the edges had been singe to the point of holing. Man. He liked that sweater. Under the sweater was a white tank with black stripes.

His shoulder began to burn worse. "Hurry up Riku."

Riku lifted the blond's arm delicately to his lips, and began to suck at one of the wounds. Roxas hissed as he felt one of the sources of the burning inch through his skin, and then it was gone. Riku turned his head and spat, the bullet clattered as it hit the pavement. He moved onto the other wound when the night air filled with sound of sirens.

The woman swore and glared at the auction house going up in flames. "Someone must have called 911. Hurry up Riku."

Riku turned his head and spat out the other bullet. "Done." He announced, wiping his mouth. "Have you got the eye?"

Roxas gave a lopsided grin and opened his hand with jewel in it. "Give me some credit. I may be a bullet magnet, but that hasn't stopped me yet."

"Good." Demyx said. "Let's rock."

Riku helped the blond to his feet as the turned away from the burning building.

By the time the rescue vehicles arrived, the four were long gone.

* * *

"Good work."

Larxene, Demyx, Riku, and Roxas was standing in a dark room, with a screen projecting the image of a man with blue hair as their only light.

"He will be very pleased with you."

"You said you had something important to tell us." Larxene said boredly.

"Yes. Apparently a cousin of our dear friend Leon, leader of Crest and two friends are coming to town, I want Roxas and to others to take a look at them, they may be potential allies."

"Right. Anything else?"

"No, you may go." The screen clicked off.

As they turned to leave, Roxas had to suppress a shudder, he didn't know what, but something was going to happen. Something, changing.

* * *

Well? Good? Bad? I dunno. Anyways. Thanx for reading.

* * *


	2. The Next Day

Hey all yealls! It's not past midnight! Whoot! But I Still HATE PAPERS! I got another one, only this time it's a persuasive essay. My topic is why Arizona should get more river water from the Colorado than California, no offence to anyone one from California or any other of the Great Basin states that get water from the river, it's just that it's an easy topic to research. Anywhoo. Be sure to read my ending comments. They're important for future writing.

* * *

Hollow Bastion was quiet. People throughout the city were mourning the losses of those killed in the fire at the auction house. Every one except Masquerade that is.

Masquerade was relaxing, kicking back after another job well done, in their home.

Their home wasn't a house, like found in the quaint, friendly little neighborhood. It was an abandoned warehouse at the Southwestern docks. The docks were also abandoned because the risk of shipwrecking had jumped from thirty percent to eighty percent when a thrust fault pushed the jagged, pointed rocks from the sea floor to the surface.

None of the Masquerade members cared that they didn't live in a nice home with family surrounded by friendly neighbors, in fact most of them liked not having families, as odd as it may seem.

The warehouse was unique. The west wall was built on stilts and hung out over the ocean, but the entire wall had a gaping hole in it. Hell, there was hardly any wall left. It had been blown off by cannon fire about thirty years ago. The warehouse used to hold smuggled weapons. The Hollow Bastion police had decided to use the harbor units to blow the men out of the warehouse. The evidence off the explosions were still all around, the ground was jutted and ragged, with all sorts of rocks poking out of the ground, and all the walls facing the ocean on the upper floor had been blown off.

But despite the dilapidated appearance, Masquerade still made the best of it all. The lower level had a flat area with a large orange couch that could fit six people, without anyone sitting on the arms, two black recliner chairs, and a dozen bean bags that varied in color. The only rooms in the warehouse with all four walls and a door intact were downstairs, including a male bathroom and a separate female bathroom. The upstairs rooms had blankets hung from the upstairs ceiling to wake up for the missing walls and doors.

The day after the fire, all the upstairs "rooms" were empty, except for one. The rooms were as large as two bedrooms, so they were cut in two with a curtain down the middle, and a curtain covered half of the missing front wall of the room(shameless boys). In the room were three beds. The right most bed had a black metal frame with ornate grids on three of the sides. The middle bed was a loft bed, also made with a black metal frame, and it had half a dozen black crates under it filled with hundreds of CD, DS, and PSP cases, as well as a couple dozen books. The top of the crates had a large battery powered stereo system(Everything upstairs electronic was either battery powered or charged downstairs because the cables wouldn't route upstairs). The last bed in the room was a large air mattress on the floor.

The air mattress was a lump of blankets, pillows, and a person. Too bad that person wasn't going to get any more sleep that morning.

"Roxiiiiiiiiieeee. Wakie wakiiiiiiee!" The Mohawk boy from the night before danced through the curtain into the room. "It's morning!"

Roxas grumbled and curled tighter into a ball. "Get up Roxie!" Tighter. "Roxie! Rooooooooooxxxxxiiiiiiiieeeee! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie! Roxie!" The blonde had had enough.

"Dimmit!" Roxas shot up, startling Demyx off the bed. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Can't you tell when someone wants to sleep?! Do you even know what sleep means?!"

"You told me it me shut the hell up and let you sleep."

"Exactly. Now be gone."

"But Rooooooooxxxxxxiiiiiiieeeee. You can't be _**that**_ tired after last night."

"You weren't shot with a blessed bullet." Roxas gingerly rubbed the bandage on his arm.

"It can't possibly hurt _**that**_ bad."

"Let me shoot _**you**_ with one and then you can say that."

"Touchy."

"Go away!" Roxas had resorted to hurling one of his many black pillows.

"Agghh!" The pillow hit the older boy square in the face. "I'm blind!!! Goodbye cruel Roxie!" He threw a hand to his chest and fell dramatically on top of Roxas.

"Eyagh! Get off you hydrophilic ameba!" Roxas screamed. Demyx had begun to glomp the ever living daylights out of the smaller boy.

"Neevaaaaaaaarrrrr! You're my adorable plushy!!!!"

"Marluxia! Luxord! Riku! Larxene! Geezer! Other Geezer! Kairi! I don't care who! GET! HIM! OFF!"

The flap to the room over flung back as a pink haired man came in with Riku.

"You two are too loud." Riku complained.

"I'll scream even louder if somebody doesn't get him off!"

The pink haired man came forward and lifted Demyx off the bed, but he was still clinging tightly to the Roxas, so the small blonde was lifted too. The man shook the boys in his arms, trying to get the larger to let go of the smaller.

"Nooooooooooooooooooo! Roxie is mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!"

The pink haired man growled. "Drop the pipsqueak or I'll let Kairi post those pictures from last night on the internet."

Demyx gasped and let Roxas slip from his grasp. "Mary, you wouldn't! would you?"

Marluxia dropped Demyx on the bed next to the blonde. "After that prank you pulled with the toothpaste and peanut butter last week, I'd be willing to post every embarrassing thing I know about you on the internet."

Demyx paled and buried himself beneath Roxas' blankets. "I-I'll be good."

Marluxia smirked at the quivering mass. "There's the love." The pink haired man turned his attention to Roxas. "And how's our pipsqueak this morning? Aside from screaming bloody murder."

Roxas stood and stretched in all his only-wearing-a-pair-of-boxers glory.

"Sexy. Got it." Marluxia teased.

Roxas displayed the finger to the older man, getting laughs from the room. He blonde rolled his eyes and began hunting for some suitable clothes for the day.

"Where is everyone anyway?" Demyx asked. He had sat up and wrapped the blankets around him.

"Yeah. I thought the would've gone medieval on us by now."

"Out. Most of them anyway." Riku said. "Lucky for you."

"Yeah they went out to eat at that new restaurant, I didn't go because they'd've dump the bill on me." Marluxia sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "They all eat too much, so I decided to wait for pipsqueak to get up and eat with him."

"How sweet. I think I'll barf." Demyx pointed his finger in his mouth for emphasis.

"Not that way!" Marluxia shouted. He threw a pillow from the Mohawk boy's bed at the Mohawk boy.

"Ow!"

"I meant because I wanted to hear the details from last night's job. It must've been hard if you got shot twice."

"It wasn't hard, and it wasn't all that interesting. They just got lucky." Roxas slipped on a khaki pair of shorts with extra pockets. "And we do have something we need do."

"Do?" Marluxia furrowed his eyebrows together. "Do what?"

The three grinned evilly at the taller and older man. "Fresh Meeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaattt!" They sang.

"Come again?"

"A couple of newbies are coming to town today." Riku explained while Roxas picked through a pile of shirts, trying to find one that didn't look too wrinkled.

"Yeah, and the bossman wants us to try and recruit them." Demyx added.

"**If** their worth recruiting." Roxas decided on a deep brown shirt with a grey, upside-down leafless tree on it, meant to look like lungs.

"Ah……..There's a catch isn't there"

"Isn't there always? One of the new recruits is a cousin of Leon's."

"Ouch. That's gonna make things tough."

"Don't worry." Roxas slipped a glove over the number burned into his left hand.

"We're gonna erase them if they don't join."

Marluxia grinned evilly. "Sounds like fun."

Once Roxas had slipped his beat up shoes, the four boys rehung the curtain walls and walked out of the room.

When they reached the metal spiral stairs Demyx spoke up. "Where are we gonna eat?"

"I don't know, McDonalds?"

"Ewwwwwwwww. Fatty alert!"

Marluxia glowered. "I am not fat! You like their food too!"

"I know, I just wanted to say that. Fatty alert. Fatty alert. Fatty alert."

Marluxia shook his head. "Riku, pipsqueak, where do you want to eat?"

Riku shrugged. "Dunno, somewhere where we aren't easily recognized."

"Obviously."

Yes. The public was blissfully unaware of the identities of Masquerade, and the location of their hideout. Leon, the man Demyx mentioned, is the leader of Masquerade's, rival gang you might say. His group is called Crest. The name was dubbed by Masquerade because everyone in the group, when they first clashed with Masquerade, they were all wearing the same crest, a silver griffon surrounded by swords.

Every one in Crest can recognize almost everyone in Masquerade, but every one in Masquerade can recognize **_everyone_ **in Crest.

"Hmmmmmm. I've just developed the uncontrollable urge for Denny's." Riku chuckled at his blond friend's comment.

"Denny's it is."

* * *

There was a lovely park, about an hour's walk from the city's airport. Complete with a jungle gym, two separate slides, one tube, one spiral, one of those shovel scoops, a tire swing, and a set of four swings. The entire set was in sand with pavement and benches surrounding it. There was a large field and some trees to the North. The only major drawback was the view. The entire park was surrounded by streets and stores, it didn't really give the cozy neighborhood feeling.

A group of small children were playing all over the park and making lots of noise, which didn't do anything to help the poor man laying on one of the nearby benches.

"Oooooooooooooggggg……." The man had his arm draped over his face, casting a shadow on his upside down teardrop tattoos. His red spiked hair was fanned out from being pressed against the bench.

He continued to moan while his blue-eyed friend fidgeted uncomfortably. His chocolate brown spikes swayed every time he searched the edges of the park for his other friend.

"Don't worry Axel. Zexion will be here soon with medicine."

"It's no good. I'm dying. This is the end for me. Thanks for staying with me till the end. I'll wait for you in hell."

"Noooooooo! Don't die Axel! Don't die!"

SPLAT!

Axel growled irritably and ripped the wet towel from his face. "What was that for you creepy, vampiric, little twig?!"

The man above him had grey eyes that matched his blue grey hair. A scowl was etched on his face. "That." He said taking a second to readjust the grocery bags hanging in the crook of his arm. "Is because you're being over dramatic. It's just motion sickness."

"Well I **_feel_ **like I'm dying. I am never going on an airplane again. **_Ever_.**"

"Stop being such a baby. You're scaring Sora." Axel side glanced the brunette. His blue eyes were wide, teary and innocent. That boy always ruined any cruel prank Axel tried to play.

"Whatever. Just give me the frikkin motion sickness crap before I up-chuck on your luggage."

The man tossed the medicine at Axel without looking to see if the red-head caught it or not. Luckily, he did catch it. Sora supplied the sick man a water bottle so he could gulp the pills down.

"Pwah!" He gasped after chugging the water.

"So where's this cousin of yours live, Sora?"

"Ummmmmmmm………..I forget."

"How are we supposed to move in with him if we don't know where he is?" Zexion asked, annoyed.

"Calm down. Calm down. I have his phone number rrrrriiiigggghhhtttt-" He trailed off searching his pockets. "Here!" He held up a folded slip of paper. "Hm. Hey my phone's dead. Can I use one of yours?"

"Dead." Zexion replied.

"Trashed."

"Trashed? How'd you trash it?"

"I don't. want. To talk. About it."

"Oka~ay. Then does anyone have loose change?"

Zexion pulled his wallet it and jiggled it, listening to the change ring. "Yeah, a little."

"Great! I think I saw a phone booth over there."

"I'm coming. I don't trust you with my wallet."

"Just because I lost my wallet doesn't mean I'll loose yours." Sora mumbled, but didn't stop him.

The two walked off behind the bench Axel was lying on. It was hot today, and the black jeans and grey shirt Axel was wearing weren't helping him get any cooler. The children had run off to get ice cream from the nearby sundae parlor.

That didn't sound too bad right now. His stomach had stopped doing flip flops, and his headache was receding. He sat up and wiped the sweat off his brow. That medicine was much quicker and way more effective than he had thought it would be. He shielded his eyes from the sun and scanned the playground. Had all the kids gone to get ice cream?

No, wait. There were two still on the playground. Axel squinted. They weren't children. One was about his height. The other………..

He must be hallucinating. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Nope, they were still there.

Even the boy had his back to him, Axel could see his golden spikes , shining in the light, and swaying as he walked. If angels existed, he was sure that boy was one.

Axel stood abruptly, and staggered. He waited for his body to readjust to being vertical, made sure he didn't still feel sick from the plane ride, and then began to stride over to the two boys.

* * *

After the four Masquerade boys had left the warehouse, they had split up. Riku and Marluxia had went to get the food, and Demyx and Roxas had decided to wait for them at Dawn's park, a large park nestled in the city named after a millionare who willed the last of his money to be used in the development of the park, but Demyx said they named it that because it looks like the dawn owns the park at dawn.

Roxas and Demyx were walking across the sand to the swings when the blond caught something red move out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head fully and stopped in his tracks.

A god.

That was the first thing that ran through his mind, a god of beauty.

Then upon closer inspection, Roxas decided the man looked more like a peacock, with plain red feathers.

Well whatever. Demyx has stopped to see what was holding Roxas up. Then he noticed Axel. He smirked, evil flashing across his face for a second before he placed his elbow on the small blonde's shoulder and waited with him for the lanky red head.

Axel had nearly stopped breathing when he saw the blonde's eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of blue he had ever seen. It made him feel self conscious about his own acid green eyes.

He was planning to say something snide, or ask where the two were from. Unfortunately, his mouth decided to depict him as the biggest moron ever.

"Hey baby, do you have a map? 'Cause I'm lost in your eyes."

SILENCE……………………………….........................................

Axel cursed profoundly on every god he knew, a few he mad up, and whatever idiot that taught him that stupid pick up line.

The awkward silence was broken abruptly when Roxas and Demyx burst out laughing. Demyx was cling to Roxas for dear life and Roxas was clutching his stomach.

"'_**Do you have a map?**_' Ha ha ha haha ha ha hah!" Roxas gasped. "How lame can you get?"

Axel blushed and hung his head.

"This guy's a riot! Say something else!" Demyx demanded childishly.

Axel's head shot up surprised. "Something……………………….else?"

"Yeah" Demyx nodded vigorously. "You're hilarious man!"

"Umm…..Okay.." he closed his eyes in thought. When he opened the he pointed at the two and said in a deep voice. "If I was in charge of the alphabet, I would put U and I together."

The park filled with hearty laughs once more.

"Another! Another!"

"Ummmm…..You must be tired baby, cause you've been running through my mind all day."

Yay laughter.

"Too funny! Right Roooooooooooooo-" Roxas had stopped laughing and was now glaring murderousl at Demyx. For all they knew, this guy could be an undercover cop. An undercover cop that goes around telling random boys pick up lines. "ooonald! Right Ronald?"

"Yeah…." The blond muttered.

Axel was positive that Ronald wasn't the blonde's real name. If looks could kill, the Mohawk guy would have been reduced to a pile of smoldering ash for almost slipping out his friend's name. But at least he knew the kid's name started with an R.

"I'm bored." The blonde announced. He turned and walked over to the swings

"But this guy's funny!"

"Not really."

"But you were laughing so hard a few seconds ago."

"Must've been gas." Roxas cringed at how bad that sounded and was glad he face was no longer facing the two tall boys.

He got on the swing and let the squeaking hinges drown out Axel and Demyx's conversation. Roxas closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

A relative of Leon would show up soon. And he would obviously show some family resemblance. He would also be tough, or even a contractor.

Contractor. The name given to those who have mad contracts with one of the seven deadly sins, or even a devil. People who were no longer human.

It's funny really. Roxas always thought he was going to stay human, until…..

"Pipsqueak!" Roxas jolted out of his thoughts and sailed from the swing. He landed on his feet. He was mildly surprised when he looked up. More people had arrived, a blue-grey haired boy and a brunette that not only reminded him of looking in a mirror but also looked vaguely familiar had joined the red head. Marluxia and Riku were over by Demyx with what he could only assume _**was**_ their breakfast at their feet. Demyx was urgently signaling for Roxas to come over.

Roxas was thoroughly confused. Riku and Marluxia were locked in a glaring contest with the red head and the on eye. Demyx and the brunette were staring at him anxiously.

Then it clicke. There were three knew people he had never seen before and one was a blue-eyed bruntte like Leon. There were three newbies they were supposed to convert, and these were they. Marluxia and Riku must have known right away, and somehow must have ticked them off.

Demyx's eyes suddenly widened. "Roxas!"

Roxas didn't have time to react when he was roughly grabbed from behind and pulled into a tight embrace with an arm around his stomach, pinning his arms to his sidea dn a cold flat blade prssed against his neck.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Roxas tilted his head up to glare into the steely blue eyes of Squall LeonHeart, the leader of Crest.

Oh Shit.

* * *

Hah! Shit! I sem to pick on Roxas a lot, you have to read one of my other stories to get what I mean. Anyway, the important comment is that I am in the tech crew for my school's play, meaning weekdays I'll be at school for about eleven hours, and some time next week it will be twelve, It really cuts back on my updating time, but I have a big black journal that I wite this story in at school so all is not lost! I just don't have as much time to convert what's in the journal into my compooper box, so don't expect updates once a week.

Thanx fer readn'


	3. Explanations and Interrogations

I LIVE!!!!! Good God. It's Two forty am. If I wasn't on Spring Break this would be a bad thing. YES!!! I have completed my evil finals and the play is over so there are less thing to compete with my writing!!!!! For those of you that read my other stories, they should be update sometime this week too. Anywho. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KH I OR II OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS

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Roxas was practically sweating bullets. How could he have been so careless? He was normally suspicious of any one he didn't recognize. And now here he was in one of Leon's Death Grips, all because of that stupid peacock.

"Let him go you dirty Crest!" Marluxia shouted.

Leon broke his glaring contest with the small blonde in his grip and pressed the Gunblade harder against Roxas' throat. "I don't think so. And if you like his head on the way it is, I suggest you stop."

An infuriated Riku had been storming toward his hostage friend, preparing to take a chunk out of Leon, but he stopped when the brunette pressed the Gunblade harder against Roxas' throat.

"Good boy." He turned his attention to Sora and company. "Sora, get over here."

Sora, Zexion, and Axel cautiously walked past the enraged Masquerade members.

Once the three were behind Leon, they joined three other people Leon had brought with him, a tall man with black spiked hair, another tall man with red hair that flipped up, and a girl with long black hair that reached her hips.

Marluxia gritted his teeth. "There, you got what you wanted, now let Roxas go!"

The tall red head with Leon stepped forward. "Hey, Leon. I been thinking, ya know? If we kept dis guy, they'd have a harder time pullin dem capers, ya?"

Leon smirked. "I believe you're right.

Demyx's eyes widened and Riku screamed "you bastards" and charged at the group.

The next few moments passed in a blur. Leon had tossed Roxas to someone behind him and fired his Gunblade. The three charging stopped to shield their eyes from the flash bullet. The bullet blinded them for a few seconds, giving Crest all the time they needed. When the light passed, Crest was no where to be seen.

Riku shook with rage. "Damn it!" He punched the closet ting to him, which happened to be the jungle gym. The metal pole crumpled under his fist.

"Riku." Marluxia said. "Calm down. You need to pick up their scent."

"If I could I wouldn't be angry!" Riku snapped.

"What about Larxene? Can you smell her?" Demyx asked.

Riku spun on the older boy, preparing to explode on him, until the silverette understood what he was getting at.

Riku closed his eyes and stuck his nose in the air, letting the various scents of the city wash over him.

The salty sea air. The grease from nearby fast food restaurants. Flour from the bakery around the corner. Perfume on a girl trying to flirt with her friend's boyfriend. Sweat on a jogger running around the park that had somehow no noticed the goings on in the center of the park. Cheese and eggs now on the ground from the Denny's breakfast. There! Larxene's perfume. That stupid pomegranate and sweet pea scent that made Riku's eyes water.

Riku snapped his eyes open. "This way!" He turned and sprinted out of the park with the other two close on his heels.

* * *

'So this is what a sack of potatoes feels like.'

Roxas was completely limp. He had been clawing and kicking the black haired Zack until the man got fed up with the blonde and stopped. Zack landed a punch in the blond's gut, stunning thee boy long enough for him to whip out a syringe (why he had it the first place is beyond us all.), jab the needle into Roxas and inject the liquid into him. Roxas instantly went limp and Zack hefted him over his shoulder and continued running with the others.

The running kept making Roxas' head bang against Zack's backside over and over and over. After an eternity of minor concussions, they stopped in front of a building that Roxas couldn't entirely see, and before he could get a better look, Leon walked over to him and tied a large black blindfold over his eyes.

Leon lifted the blindfolded boy and carried him into the building with the others close behind. It was a bar. An empty bar. There wouldn't be any customers until later in the evening. Leon went straight past the bar and through a door in the back. Behind the door was a flight of stairs.

"Some one grab a chair.' Leon ordered before he began to descend the stairs. In the basement there were two couches angled to face a TV on the box against the wall. Behind the couches was a table surrounded by four chairs, a countertop with a coffee pot and stove, and a fridge.

"No slacking on the job, Yuffie." Leon called to the girl at the table. The girl had short black hair with a long yellow ribbon tied around her forehead. She had one hand wrapped around a coffee mug, and another hand propping her head up.

"That's The Great Ninja Yuffie to you." The girl muttered. She took a sip of coffee, and then glared over the rim of the mug. "And when did I give you permission to come down here unannounced?" She gasped when she spotted Leon's baggage. "You've turned into kidnappers?! Squall, how could you!?"

Leon's eyebrow twitched at the sound of his first name. "Stop calling me that." He lowered Roxas into the chair Zack brought downstairs.

"And we aren't kidnapping him."

"Says you." Roxas muttered. He was slouching forward in the chair like a child's rag doll. "And why was I drugged if you weren't kidnapping me?"

"Cause you're a rabid cat thing! You bit me!" Zack cried. He showed the others the teeth marks on his arm.

Yuffie stood from her seat and was examining the blindfolded boy as Wakka proceeded to tie the boy's hands behind his back. "Well I don't want any rabid cats here either." She said.

"I'm not a cat!"

"Okay, BACK UP!!" Leon turned to the red head that spoke. Axel was angry. He, Sora, and Zexion just got dragged halfway across town, and it appeared no one was going to have the courtesy to explain why.

Leon stared for a while. It went without saying that he owed them an explanation. Finally he sighed. He wanted to avoid having this conversation with the three, at least until they had been in town longer. "Tifa, Wakka, you two tell the rest what's happened." It wasn't a request.

The two went up the stairs. When the door clicked closed, Leon sighed again and slumped on to the nearest couch. "Get comfortable, this is going to take a while."

Yuffie groaned. ":More coffee." She walked back over to the table. Zack plopped down next to Leon while Axel, Zexion and Sora sat together on the second couch. Roxas was right in front t of the TV, making Axel feel weird. Were they going to talk or watch Roxas?

"First off," Leon began. "Do you remember what I told you over the phone Sora?"

Sora blinked. "What? What part?"

"The part about thee city's…..drawbacks."

"Ummmm….." Sora crossed his arms and hunched forward, deep in thought.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Axel growled. He wanted answers and her wanted them now.

"Patience is a virtue." Yuffie sang. She danced over with a steaming mug of coffee and leaned herself against the chair Roxas was in. Many of Roxas' limbs were twitching every now and again. A sign that the drug was wearing off and Roxas was trying to move.

Axel was irritated by Yuffie's comment, but he shut up anyway. Sora hmmed a few more times before he said. "You said…..The city has….games?"

"Close" Zack commented. "But no cigar."

"Gangs." Leon corrected. "Hallow Bastion is full of gangs. Only two gangs in reality, but they fill the city enough anyway."

Sora and Axel paled a little bit when they heard the word gangs". Zexion looked intrigued. "Gangs, as in, shootings and graffiti?"

"Our gangs our more…..unique."

"Wait, wait. What does blondie have to do with all this?" Axel interrupted.

Leon and Zack glared hatefully at the blonde boy in response.

"You-" Sora stammered. "You don't mean?"

"Yep!" Yuffie chirped. "This squirt." She poked Roxas' cheek with her finger. "Is one of the big bad hit men."

"You make me sound like a lackey." Roxas complained.

"Isn't that what you are." Zack stated.

"I-"

"Never mind!" Leon snapped. "What were you doing at the park?"

Roxas rolled his neck inn a jerking motion. It was still pretty hard to get his body to move properly. :That park is public, I'm allowed to go there."

Leon growled in frustration. "Answer the question."

Roxas turned his head, as if he suddenly had interest in that wall over there, that he couldn't see. "Nothing."

"I said-"

"I heard you!" Roxas snapped, whipping his head around jerkingly to face Leon's voice. "I wasn't doing anything, just waiting for breakfast."

"Just a minute." Zexion said. "what did you mean when you said that the gangs were 'unique'?"

Leon turned to Zexion to answer.

"Hallow Bastion is a hell hole.

Leon's snapped his head back around and glared viciously at his prisoner, who had once more found interest in that wall he couldn't see.

"What does that mean?" Sora asked anxiously.

"Hallow Bastion……..is full of…..what we call Contractors."

Zexion paled a few shades, if that was possible.

"Contractors? What's that." Sora blinked.

"You don't know what a Contractor is? God you're stupid."

Leon gave the blonde a good whack upside the head.

"That's my cousin you're talking about."

"That was my head you just hit."

Leon ignore him. "You've heard of the seven deadly sins?"

Sora blinked and stuck a finger under his chin. "Uhh…Yeah. What is there? Like um, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Lust….ummmmmm……Gluttony….annnnnnnnnddd.."

"Pride." Axel added.

"Right! Pride, amended….I can never remember the last one."

"Greed" Zexion whispered. "You forgot Greed."

"Yeah! That!" Sora blinked and looked back to his cousin. "But what does that have to do with Contractors?"

"Contractors are people who have made contracts-"

"Definition of contractor." Axel interrupted boredly.

"-with one of the seven deadly sins."

Axel's mouth snapped shut and Sora's eyes widened. "What?"

"Contractors are people who have made a contract with one of the sins, or sometimes even a devil."

The room was silent for a few minutes while Axel and Sora absorbed what they just heard.

Roxas hated how quiet it was. "BORING."

Leon gave Roxas another smack upside the head. "Oww!"

"Leon." The older brunette turned back to his cousin. Sora was fidgeting nervously in his seat. "Are you a….you….a Contractor?"

Leon didn't say anything at first.

"Leon?"

"Would it matter if I was?"

Sora was a bit taken aback by the question. Would it matter if Leon was a Contractor? Sure, he still had no clue what Contractors were. But the way Leon was talking about them made being one sound like a bad thing. But still…

"No." Sora said cheerfully, much to the surprise of everyone in the room. "I wouldn't even care if you were the world's most wanted man. You're still my cousin, and I'm gonna stick by you no matter what."

Leon smirked sadly. "Thanks Sora."

Roxas on the other hand, was gagging in his mind. "You're cousin's a sap."

Upside the head. For the third time today.

"Would you cut that out!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "anyways, unless I'm mistaken, you three noobs," She said pointing to Sora, Axel, and Zexion. "Are the only normal humans in the room, like me."

Axel nodded. So blondie was a Contractor. But, you had to wonder…"What's so special about Contractors? Aside from the fact that they've signed a piece of paper from some guy from hell?"

"They have demon powers." Every one, but Roxas, whipped around to stare at Zexion. How did he know? "Every Contractor that made a contact with a sin receives a demon power."

"That's….right"

Zack leaned forward in his seat. "How do you know that?"

Zexion lowered his head and stared at the floor distantly "You could say that I've had my fair share of Contractors."

Sora frowned. "I'm sorry." He said putting a hand on the blue haired boy's shoulder comfortingly.

"It's not your fault." Zexion responded with a shake of his head.

" I know, but if I had known….."

"Don't worry. I'll manage."

"You sure?" Leon asked. "Because I have a friend in the town over that wouldn't mind putting you up.'

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"So……Who did you make a contract with?" Axel asked, earning a snort from Yuffie.

"Moved from the surprised stage to the curious stage?"

Axel shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

"Well…" Leon glared at their prisoner. "I guess it's no big secret, I made a contract with Anger."

"Anger?"

"Better known as Wrath."

Sora furrowed his brows together. "You're Wrathful?"

Zack and Leon chuckled while Yuffie snorted behind her hand. "Maybe not now, but at one time I was enough to summon Wrath out of hell."

"How do you summon them?"

"Curious to join us?" Roxas yawned and ducked forward, causing Leon to miss the smack upside the head.

Leon glowered at the boy and, feeling the kid wasn't wroth trying to hit twice, continued. "You can't summon them on purpose, at least I don't know anyone who did. They come when you pique the emotion of the sin you summon."

"You mean you were really angry when you made the contract?"

"Exactly. I was beyond angry. Enraged. Furious."

"Why?"

Leon glanced at Roxas again. "I'll tell you when we have an audience that won't try to use it against me."

Axel scratched the back of his head. "This is confusing, but I think I'm getting the gist of it. So do all Contractors have super cool weapons like you?"

"No. Just the ones who made a contract with Wrath.

"How does that work?"

Leon sighed. "It's kind of hard to explain. See, each sin has their own little category of what they can grant. For example, Wrath grants people a weapon with its own, unique special ability, and no two people have the same weapon."

"Oh, okay."

"Now let's save the rest of the explanations about those things for later." Leon turned back to Roxas. "What were you doing at the park?"

"I told you. Waiting for breakfast."

"Why were you talking with my cousin?"

"I wasn't talking to your cousin, I was talking to the peacock."

Axel's eyebrow twitched. "You better not mean me."

"If that's the peacock then yes, I was talking about you."

Zack held Axel back while Leon continued the questioning. "So why were you talking to him?"

"Because he came up to _**me**_ an started rambling off cheesy pick up lines."

Leon raised an eyebrow and turned to Axel. The red head's face now matched his vibrant hair, though it was hard to tell if it was from anger or embarrassment.

"What were you doing when the auction house went up?"

"The auction house went up? Did it fall down?" Roxas cursed inwardly. Of course Leon would've known about that. It was in a Crest part of the city.

Leon growled at the blonde's response. "Don't play dumb. We know Masquerade was behind it. We have witnesses that saw you in your masks."

Roxas rolled his neck around again. It moved smoothly without any jerks. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

Leon's frown deepened. Cocky brat. Leon's arm shot out. His hand tightened around the bandage on his captive's arm. Roxas yelped in pain. "Since you have no idea what I'm talking about, you won't mind me asking what you did to your arm, because it just so happens to be the same spot where one of the guards hit a member of Masquerade with a blessed bullet."

Roxas had already come up with a legit excuse. "Xigbar did it. The blonde gritted out. "He was emptying a gun full of blessed bullets that he found in the dumpster, but Dem ran into him, so he hit me instead of the wall."

Leon growled again and squeezed Roxas' arm tighter. "You're lying."

"Ow! No I'm not! Cut it out! That hurts!"

Leon scowled and pulled his arm back. There was fresh blood on his palm. His squeezing had reopened Roxas wounds, which was now soaking the white bandages red.

Sora whimpered slightly and hid his face in his hands. He could never stand the sight of blood. Axel put and arm around Sora's shoulders comfortingly. Leon noticed his cousin and sighed.

"Fine. We'll continue talking later. C'mon. Let's get something to drink upstairs. Yuffie, keep an eye on that Masquerade brat."

The group silently filed up the stairs and out of the room, leaving Roxas alone with Yuffie.

Little did Leon know, that was just what Roxas wanted.

* * *

Upstairs, Leon had taken down the chairs on some of the tables. Sora, Axel and Zexion sat around one while Zack took a seat with the recently returned Tifa at another table. Leon had busied himself with getting his guests drinks. Once he had handed every one a drink, he took a seat at the table with his cousin.

"So…" Sora fiddled with his glass a bit. "What happens now?"Leon gazed into his glass in deep thought, choosing his words carefully. Finally, he sighed. "Nothing really. You three will live your lives like you had planned to. You just need to be wary of who's in Masquerade."

"Masquerade? You mentioned that to that kid. What is it?"

"That's the name of our rival gang."

Axel frowned. "Why are they called that?"

"Because we like masks." A high pitched, slightly malicious voice answered from the door.

Leon shot out of his chair and spun toward the door, face set in a cross between a scowl and a snarl.

In the doorway was a tall blond woman with two strands of hair sticking out like antenna. Next to her on either side were two men. One had bright blond hair that was a larger version of Roxas'. Leon recognized the second man as Marluxia. Both of the men wore masks. Marluxia's was designed to look like vines were wrapped around the head with two eyeholes. The blonde's mask covered the upper portion of his face and was of angel wings, only one wing was black, while the other was white.

Zack and Tifa had taken up sides next o Leon, battle ready. Larxene smirked cruelly. She examined her opponents, and let her eyes come to rest on the three newbies at the table. "Well, well. Fresh meat."

Sora cowered a little, before Leon placed himself between Masquerade and his cousin.

"Don't you touch him."

"Like I want to, but until you return our blond pipsqueak to us, that boy seems like a pretty good trade."

Leon narrowed his eyes and grabbed his gun blade off the table. "Back in the basement!" He ordered the three at the table. "Now!"

Axel and Zexion didn't need to be told twice. The two sprinted to the door. Sora however was frozen to his seat. Why was everything happening so fast?

"Sora move-!" That snapped him out of his shock. Leon and the other two Crest members were thrown across the room.

Sora felt a cool pair of fingers tilt his chin up so that he was looking into a pair of steely blue eyes. "So _**this**_ is your cousin?" Larxene used her thumb to turn Sora's head from side to side. "He looks exactly like our pipsqueak."

Sora held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the woman to let go. He felt his face turn again and risked cracking an eye open to see that Larxene was now eyelevel with him.

"Are you frightened?"

"Yes." What point was there in hiding it?

Larxene cracked a malicious grin. "But he's much more honest than our pipsqueak."

"Get away from him!" Larxene was tackled to the floor by Axel. Why he noticed that Sora wasn't behind the he turned back.

Larxene growled and swatted the red head away as if he was nothing. "You stupid human." Sora's heart practically stopped beating out of pure fear for what he saw next.

Larxene grew fur, just a enough to cover her body with a smooth layer. The fur was dirty blonde, including her once platinum blonde hair, with brown spots. Her eyes were as yellow as he hair once was and her face had a large brown snout. He had become sharp and bone crushing and her nails had grown into claws. A large brown tail had sprouted out of her rear.

_They have demon powers._

Now Sora knew what Zexion had meant.

Axel swallowed a lump in his throat as he glanced Larxene over. If that was what a Contractor could do, then there was no way in hell he could fight one. But…

Axel glanced over at Sora. The brunette had begun to tremble. Axel couldn't leave him. Axel glanced to the other side where the fight between the three Crest members and two Masquerade members was going on. Axel definitely couldn't leave.

Axel slowly stood, eyeing the monstrous form in front of him warily. If he could just get around her, he could grab Sora and make a run for the basement.

"You should pay more attention."

Axel blinked as he suddenly realized that Larxene's face was mere inches from his, and he had a searing pain in his leg. Axel cried out a grabbed his leg while Larxene licked her claws. She had jammed her claws into his leg and then raked them across his leg before he even had time to realize he was in pain.

"Axel!" Sora shouted. Axel's cry had snapped the boy out of his second shock.

Larxene merely sneered. "Weak. Humans are always so weak."

She bent down again, reaching out as if to grab Axel, but before she could she was tackled to the floor once more, but this time, when she tried to swat the person away, she was stopped by a cold blade pressed against her throat. Leon stood above her with his Gunblade poised against her neck.

"Make any sudden movements and I'll kill you without a second thought." Larxene glared hatefully at the scar faced man, but didn't move otherwise. "Sora, Axel." Leon said without taking his eyes off the Contractor he had pinned. "Hurry up and get in the basement."

Sora nodded and hurried over to his injured friend. He let Axel lay an arm over his shoulders to put some of his weight on the smaller boy as they limped through the basement door and down the stairs.

"I really hope Leon gives that crazy b-" Axel was cut off when he fell to the floor in a heap. Sora had let go of him. "Oww. What was that for Sor-a?" When Axel had looked up to the boy, his eyes were wide open and he was shaking again. Axel turned to look at the room and understood what was wrong with him.

The room had been torn apart. The couches had been knocked over, the wooden table had been smashed. The TV was missing a huge chunk out of a corner. To top it all off, Yuffie was uncurious against to wall.

The only untouched part of the room was the chair the blonde named Roxas had been tied to. Now four figures were standing in that spot. The Mohawk boy from the park, Zexion, who had his arms forced behind his back by the Mohawk kid, the silverette from the park, and Roxas, only now Roxas was untied and his eyes were a deep shade of red instead of ocean blue. Axel gulped. They had just walked into a room that was full of undoubtedly Contactors members. And he was pretty sure pick up lines weren't going to save him for the blonde and the Mohawk kid this time.

* * *

Yay! I'm done. Writing takes longer for this story because I write it all down first during school and things like that and THEN I type it up. It's longer but that way works better for me. Also, I will love you forever if you tell me what animal Larxene's supposed to be, and IT ISN'T MADE UP!!! I had to tell that to the three people that revised this. Anywho, see you next chapter!


	4. The Plot Thickens in More Ways Than One

I.........LIVE!!!!!! Hi there all yealls! I'm back with another chapter! It took me FOREVER!!!!! I had to do this in between a book and lik three papers!!!! ACK!!! Ah well at least it's done. Check out the end of it. I'll adress some of the reviews. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KH I OR II OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS**

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If there was a fly on the wall in the basement, it would have seen the oddest thing after the Crest members and the newbies filed up the stairs. While everyone had their attention turned to the three Masquerade members, two figures used it as an opportunity to steal their way into the basement. The first one made his way down the stairs with an air of determination. The other was dillydallying down the stairs with one hand poised as a gun and the other holding the "gun."

"Budump…….Dannump….Danump, Badump, Dun, Duuuuunn." he sang, jumping two steps at a time, pausing each time to leer around suspiciously. "Dundump….Dadump…..dadump….Da-"

"Would you cut that out!" His silverette friend hissed.

"Yeah a voice said at the bottom of the stairs. "If any one else was down here Demyx, you would have been caught."

"Roxy!" The Mohawk boy squealed. He raced down the stairs, nearly knocking Riku over in the process, To his captive friend in the center of the room. "You're okay!"

Roxas snorted. "If you call being tied to a chair in a basement of your enemy's bar okay the yea, I'm terrific."

Demyx grinned and started tugging at the ropes. "Still able to make smartass remarks, you're fine."

"Ow Tighter! Tighter! You're making it tighter you moron!" Demyx frowned and let go of the rope.

Riku walked over to the chair. "Let a professional handle this, Dem." Riku leaned forward and began biting through the rope with his razor sharp teeth.

"Professional nothing. You're cheating. Using those shark teeth of yours."

Riku stopped a moment. "They aren't shark teeth, their just sharp teeth."

"Whatever."

A hand suddenly fell on Demyx's shoulder making the boy freak and nearly leap out of his own skin. "Holy flying cherry flavored fudge monkeys!!!!!!!!!"

Yuffie raised an amused eyebrow. "Flying……Cherry….Fudge monkeys."

Demyx clutched his hand to his chest and panted. "Don't DO that Yuffie! Are you trying to kill me?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "That's the Great Ninja Yuffie to you. But it wouldn't have been hard to kill you, seeing how poorly guarded you just were." She frowned and walked over to Roxas. "And why don't you give this poor squirt the pleasure of _**seeing**_ where he is." The self-proclaimed ninja said untying the boy's blindfold.

Roxas shook his head and blinked a few times, letting his vision adjust. "Thanks Yuffie."

Demyx grinned. "Now on to phase two!" He held up to fingers for emphasis. "I get to beat the crud out of you, Yuffie!"

"What?!" Yuffie cried. "Why?!"

"Because if we don't do anything to you, they'll suspect you and your cover will be blown." Riku explained, never turning away from Roxas' ropes.

Before Yuffie could protest, Demyx landed a fast kick to her stomach, sending her crashing into the table and chairs. The table and two chairs ended up smashed.

Yuffie growled and shook her head to stop the spinning. "That HURT!" She shouted. "You'll pay for that!" She leapt up and charged at the Mohawk haired boy.

An epic battle would have ensued, if they hadn't have heard the door upstairs open, followed by shouting. "Wait! Where's Sora?"

"I thought he was right behind you."

"Zex, go tell Yuffie about the trouble, I'll go back to get Sora."

"Be careful." The upstairs door slammed shut just as a gray/blue haired boy made it to the bottom of the stairs.

Zexion's eyes widened when he realized what was taking place. Riku also understood what the boy was thinking about as he turned back up the stairs.

"Demyx I'll take care of the chick, just stop him!" Riku gave Yuffie a swift kick to the head that would have snapped her neck if he hadn't have been holding back. Demyx got over his shock of having his pry taken from him and was at Zexion before he was halfway up the stairs. Demyx used one arm to pin both of Zexion's behind his back and used the other to cover the Zexion's mouth.

"Whoa there speedy. Quitting just when the party's getting good?" Demyx didn't give Zexion a chance to make any sort of response. He marched the boy over to Riku and Roxas, where Riku resumed the task of untying Roxas, seeing as how the kick he gave Yuffie knocked her out cold. After about thirty seconds of dead silence Roxas was free, and the upstairs door opened once more. The four waited as the uneven footsteps slowly brought the red head and brunette from the park into view. The red head was limping with a dark red stain above his right knee. Riku figured that either Larxene or Marluxia did it.

The two were so preoccupied with trying to get down the stairs without tripping that they didn't notice the people in the until the brunette froze on the bottom step. The boy dropped his red haired friend as he stared in horror at the scene before him.

Trashed room. Unconscious friend. Other friend being held hostage by people that Leon described as the most evil gang in town. In reality they were but that wasn't helping them right now.

So Riku did the only thing he could think of to keep their situation from getting any worse. He threatened them. "Make any sudden screams or moves and Demyx here will snap your friends neck."

Demyx blinked. "I will?" Kick to the shin. "I will! I will!"

Axel and Sora nodded slowly and stupidly.

Riku sighed in his mind. The two were completely terrified of them. They probably didn't have the courage to scream, much less run. They weren't good candidates for Masquerade so far, but if they were Contractors, they could be trained.

Roxas must have been thinking the same thing. He swept his now unnaturally red eyes over the three newbies once. "They're human." Roxas stated. No hope for them to be in Masquerade.

"Then our work here is done" Riku said. "Move." Axel and Sora slowly while Roxas retested to see if the drug was completely worn off. Yep. He moved fine.

"Thank you." Demyx said once the path upstairs was clear. "And bye."

Demyx shoved Zexion to his friends on the ground and sped up the stairs with Roxas and Riku right behind.

Zexion, who had unceremoniously landed on top of Axel, quickly stood and dusted himself off while Axel and Sora slowly absorbed the fact that they were alive and mostly untouched.

There was a loud commotion upstairs, assumable Masquerade making a getaway.

Being the only person in the room that probably had any medical experience, Zexion walked over to the unconscious Yuffie and checked her pulse. She was alive, and had no visible broken bones.

Zexion sighed. A dead body was not what he needed to deal with first day in town.

The slate haired boy wandered back over to his two friends. Axel had snapped out of his daze and was examining the wonderful gift Larxene had left him. Sora was fiddling with some idea cards on lanyards.

Wait. What?

"Sora, where did you get those?" Zexion asked, pointing to the items in question.

The upstairs opened, causing Sora to jump. The brunette quickly hid the lanyards in his pocket and held a finger to his lips to show Zexion that he would tell him later. Leon, battered and bearing a large gash on his shoulder came slowly down the stairs. "Everyone alive down here?"

"Yuffie and Axel need medical attention and Sora is shaken up, but otherwise I think we're fine."

Leon nodded and fixed the turned over couch. "Come lay down. We have a friend that's a good doctor. She'll come take a look at you once we give her a call."

With help from Zexion and Sora, Axel limped over to the couch and eased onto it. Leon had overturned the other couch and laid Yuffie onto it.

"I'm sorry about this." Leon said. "If I had left the kid, or dropped you of at my place, or any other number of things you guys wouldn't have been drawn into all this."

"No worries man!" Axel said waving his hand. "None of us are dead and wounds heal. Just tell me you roughed that dog woman up a bit before they made a break."

Leon smiled. "I didn't, but Tifa gave her some bruises that will last a long, long time."

"Good."

Axel grabbed a pillow off the floor and stuck it under his head. He looked ready to float off in la la land until somewhere in in the city, the clock tower struck two o'clock.

Axel's eyes snapped open and he swore.

"What?"

"Sora and I have interviews at the Wisdom theatre in half an hour!"

"The theatre?" Leon raised an eyebrow. "That's what you do for a living?"

"We get paid enough. And Zexion gets a steady income job so if we don't get paid, he does."

Leon looked a bit skeptical. "All right. But what do you plan to do about it? You can't exactly go to an interview looking like _**that**_." Leon stated pointing at Axel's leg.

"I'll go!" Sora volunteered.

"Are you sure?" Zexion asked.

""Mmm-hmm! I can do my interview and ask them if Axel can reschedule his."

"Are you sure?" Leon asked concerned. "You can always call to reschedule, and after what you just went through no one will blame you for not going."

"I'm sure I'll be fine Leon." Sora chirped. "I just have to take the subway there."

Leon still didn't look convinced.

"Don't worry, I'll be in a secured building with lots of people around. Nothing's going to happen."

Leon sighed. Once Sora made up his mind there was no changing it. "Alright. But take this with you." Leon held out a black razor phone.

Sora took it and flipped it open. "Your phone?"

"You said yours was dead. Take mine so you can call if you need help."

Sora smiled brightly. "Thanks Leon!"

* * *

Ten Minutes and a Bus Ride Later

Sora stood in awe in front of the theatre building. It was HUGE. The building itself was four stories, three of which were open to the public, and this was excluding the basement. The first floor had large glass windows revealing the reception area.

Sora gulped. Here he was to try out at the largest theatre in the city. It made him as nervous as all hell.

He had just mustered up enough courage to start up the steps when he heard screaming. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST THEM??!!!" Sora jumped back and looked to the top of the steps.

Oh. Good. God. If this wasn't cruel irony then Sora was a priest. If there was a god in this world he must really hate Sora.

There, at the top of the steps were the two Masquerade members from the basement.

The Blonde haired boy that had been tied to the chair, Roxas, and the mullet haired boy that had held Zexion hostage. The blonde was yelling furiously at the taller boy.

"How could you possibly lose them! You had them in your pocket at the park! Those lanyards are the only way we can get in! Where could you possibly-Oh my Gods you didn't"The mullet boy grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. Roxas had figured out where he dropped them, and there wasn't any way Demyx could stop him from going medieval on his ass.

"YOU LOST THEM AT THE BAR DIDN'T YOU!!!!!!"

"Uhhhh……Maybe?"

"GAAAHHHH!!!!" Roxas screamed in frustration fisting his hands in his hair. How could Demyx be so damn clueless?

Sora cringed when Roxas let out his anger vocally. Nice language. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the lanyards that had fallen into his lap in the basement.

The cards had standard ID crap. Date of Birth. Barcode for scanning. Who made the cards. But what Sora was staring at was the photos, they were of the two boys just up the steps. The only difference between the boys on the cards and the boys up the steps was that the ones in the pictures were smiling.

Sora absently wondered what the two looked like smiling in person.

"Holy Shit!" Sora blinked and looked up. Oh God. While he was thinking he had unconsciously started walking up the steps. Roxas and Demyx were staring dumbfound at the chocolate haired boy. After all, they had just made a magnificent get-away away from this boy.

Roxas narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as he glanced between Sora and the guard. If Sora wanted he could rat the two of them out in an instant. Roxas really liked his job here and would rather not loose it. "Hey there, Sora"

Sora began shaking. These guys were Contractors. They probably had some strange power to turn into an animal like Larxene. He was going to have nightmares about her for weeks already. He didn't know how much more he could take. He didn't have any idea what to do right now. So he basically let the reflexes and habits that got him into this mess get him out.

What Sora did was beyond what any of the three thought he would. Sora shoved out his hands, offering the two boys what was in them. Their lanyards. Sora kept his face to the ground. He was sweating nervously. "You…" He stuttered out. "You dropped these."

Sora squeezed his eyes shut as he anticipated one the two lashing out at him. He was too scared that they would kill him if he tried to run. He was greatly surprised when instead of feeling a slap to the face or a kick to the ribs, he felt the lanyards being gently taken out of his hands.

That went well.

Op…Scratch that. Sora just got tackled to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter as hi felt someone……hugging him? He risked opening his eyes. He was sitting flat on his ass, with Demyx in his lap, hugging him and laughing.

"Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou! You have noooooooooo idea how much trouble we would have been in if we had forgotten those! Oh Thank you!"

Sora blinked. "You're……welcome?" He didn't get it. Weren't they his enemy? Or his cousin's anyway.

Roxas rolled his eyes at Demyx's affection and waved the lanyards at the guard. "There, we have them. May we pass now?"

The guard had a look of annoyance on his face, like he didn't want to let them through anyway. He wasn't very attractive either. He had a pot belly and a face that just said 'leave me the hell alone.' "What about that guy?" He asked, pointing at Sora.

The chocolate haired boy looked over his hugging assailant's shoulder. "I have an appointment."

"You heard the kid, he has an appointment, now may we pass?" Demyx asked. He stood up and hugged Sora close, like he was a doll.

:"How do I know he's not lying?"

"Puh-leez." Demyx scoffed. "Is this the type of face that would lie to you?" He pinched Sora's cheeks and stretched out his mouth.

The guard didn't find it funny like Demyx. In fact he found it even more annoying. "If he can't prove it to me he can't get in."

Demyx released Sora and crossed his arms looking irritated. "Well that's stupid. He already told you what he was here for."

"But he might be lying to me. So he ain't goin' in 'till he can prove it."

Demyx and Roxas narrowed their eyes. This guard was seriously getting on their nerves. At the risk of letting the two Masquerade members maim the guard before his eyes, Sora dove his hand into his pocket and fished out Leon's black razor. The guard's hand moved to his gun, eye the mobile device like it was a bomb.

"And what'dya think yer' doin' kid?"

Sora flipped the phone open and began dialing. "Just shut up and watch." He held the phone up to his ear and waited for someone to answer. "Hello? Mr. Pearl? Yeah. It's me, Sora. Yeah. Haha. No Axel can't make it today, and I would love to be there, but one of your guards won't let me through." Sora took a moment to glance at the Guard. The man had gone pale when he heard the name of the man on the other line, and when Sora told the person that the guard wouldn't let him through he began to sweat bullets. "Hm? Yeah, no problem." Sora held the phone out to the guard. "He wants to talk with you."

The guard looked nervously at the phone before taking the mobile device and holding it near his ear. "H-Hello?"

The next thing that happened could only be described as funnier than all hell.

There was no doubt in Demyx, Roxas, or Sora's mind that the indistinguishable noises coming from the phone was the boss giving the guard the lecturing of his career. After two straight minutes the guard hung up and handed the phone back to Sora.

Demyx smiled from ear to ear in a smug way. "Sooo, how did it go?"

The guard gritted his teeth. If he didn't need this job that badly, he would've punched this kid's lights out by now. "You may pass." The guard said reluctantly, like it hurt to say it. "But." He poked his finger at Sora. "If I catch you doing anything funny, I'll throw you out faster than you can say 'Hollow Bastion Wisdom Theatre.'"

Sora nodded and followed Roxas into the theatre building. Demyx was in the doorway when he turned one last time to the guard and said "Hollow Bastion Wisdom Theatre!" Then he hauled ass after Sora and Roxas, laughing at the guard swearing at him.

Sora was deep in thought when Demyx caught up with the two boys. The two had helped him. They were being nice to him. Why? It didn't make sense. They has attacked him back at the bar. They took his friend hostage. They hurt Axel to get Roxas back. And Leon had said they had even killed people. So Why?

"…ra…"

It just didn't make sense.

"..Sor…"

Leon wouldn't lie to him. And Roxas and Demyx clearly weren't trying to kill him right now. So why?

"SORA!"

Sora blinked. "Huh?" WHAM! "Owwww…."

Sora could hear Demyx and Roxas bust out laughing somewhere behind him. They weren't the ones who hit him. They had stopped at one of the doors to the stage, but Sora had kept walking. Demyx and Roxas had tried to call out to him, but he had just walking, until he hit the wall of course.

Sora stumbled backwards and rubbed his nose gingerly. "Stupid wall." He muttered.

"Hahahaaa…You okay, man?" Demyx walked over and slung an arm over Sora's shoulders. Sora nodded, still rubbing his sore nose. Demyx's eyes danced with amusement as he watched. This kid was just as funny as his friend with the pick-up lines. "Good. Now you see this?" Demyx pointed to the wall Sora had just run into.

Sora looked quizzically at Demyx, then the wall. "Yeah. Why?"

Demyx smiled. "Well. Now, I know you're from out of town and all, but around here, this is what we like to call, a wall."

Sora laughed while Roxas snickered behind them.

"Now, I don't know about wherever you come from, but around here, people can't normally walk through walls. Now over here." Demyx steered Sora over to Roxas, by the door. "Over here is what we like to call a door. We use it if we want to go through a wall." By this time, Roxas and Sora were doubled over with laughter.

"Now let me explain to you how a door works."

Roxas kicked Demyx before the taller boy could grab the doorknob. "Enough! You're going to suffocate us!"

"Oww!" Demyx hopped around on one leg. "All right! I'll stop! No need to kick!"

Sora chuckled. "Are you two always like this?"

Roxas groaned. "You have no idea."

Demyx opened the door and bowed. "And now, my good sir, we leave you to your audition."

Sora blinked. "….Just like that?"

Demyx stood up straight. "What? You didn't think we'd walk you around and point out every wall so you wouldn't run into it, did you?"

Roxas kicked Demyx again. "I told you to cut it out."

"Uh…nothing like that." Sora said. It was kind of hard to explain that he expected them to kill him.

"Let me guess." Roxas said. "You expected us to kill you, right?"

The completely flabbergasted look on the brunette's face answered Roxas' question. "Are you a minder reader???"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Demyx exclaimed. "He's always doing that to mw! He must be a mind reader!"

Wow. Roxas kicked Demyx. Again.

"Owiiee…."

"I'm not a mind reader. It's just natural that he would think that, after that stunt you guys pulled."

"We were rescuing you!"

"Yeah…And letting Larxene eat people."

"She only bit one person!"

"So…" Sora was fiddling with his thumbs. "You guys aren't bad?"

"Don't get us wrong kid," Roxas leaned so close to Sora that their noses were almost touching. "We're bad. As bad as you can get. We've stolen, we've blackmailed, and we've killed people. But just because we do dirty work doesn't mean we're do it all day long." Roxas pulled back, turned, and walked down the hall with Demyx right behind him. "If you're smart, you'll stay away from us."

Sora stood frozen. He was scared. Scared as all hell. Roxas was dead serious. Not only that but when Roxas was leaned in close, his eyes turned a deep red, like they were in the basement, for a few seconds. If Sora was smart, he would stay away. But still, they were fun to be with, and they had been nice to him….

Sora turned and shouted after them.

"A can't brain today, I've got the dumb!"Roxas froze, then turned to look at Sora with an amused expression on his face. "What the hell was that?"

The chocolate brunette scratched the back of his neck. "Eh heh heh heh. I guess it's my way of saying that I'm not smart."

Demyx raised a brow. "Would've never guessed."

"Heh heh. Where can I find you after my audition."

Roxas turned to leave and waved. "We'll be in the tech room. Just ask for directions."

"Kay!" Sora watched them walk around the corner. Everything was just happening so fast. Sora didn't have much to go on.

The only thing he was sure of, was that he had just made friends with his cousins enemies.

* * *

Okay..*Skims through reviews*

First for AnsemMensa. Good guess on the newcomers. You were right. Zexion, Sora, Axel.

Next for jcon539. They all get their powers from a specific Sin. Each Sin can grant a certain range of powers. And no teo powers are the same. And.....this is hard to explain.....hmm. Well, I'll explain it all in better detail in the next chapter. I'm sorry but I need to ask you to wait a little longer.

For Chocobaby. The gangs aren't quite set up up like that, if you didn't guess who one of the Marquerade members was in the last chapter. But more will show up in the next chappy!

For Ninny-na. Who Knows? Ehehehehehehehehehe. Naw, seriously. I'll tell ya next chappy.

And finally, for whoever guessed what Larxene was. She. Is not. A cheetah. That is the only answer I ever get for some reason. I'll give you all one more chance before my great and all mind blowing explaination of everyting. And here's a hint. She isn't a member of the feline family.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I love you all so very much! I'll see ya next chappy!


	5. Second Explanation Plus Spiriting Away?

Hellooooooooooo my loyal readers! I have missed you all so very much.

Anyway. Here is the long winded explanation I promised you. And I warn you I have made an OC. So don't kill me for it. Reveiw corner will be at the end again.

**DISCLAIMER: **I still don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

* * *

"Boooo! Booo!"

We open today high up in the tech booth. A dark electrical room with large glass windows that provided a perfect view of the stage for the technical support. All the buttons and switches were on a large slightly slanted dashboard pressed up against the windows. The rest of the room was full of stacked boxes and had four rolling swivel chairs. Two of the chairs were occupied. One by the bouncy exuberant Demyx, the other by the calm and collected Roxas. They were currently enjoying their favorite aspect of their jobs in theatre, being an unheard peanut gallery.

"Booooo! Demyx cried for the third time. "Get off the stage you hack! Boo!"

Roxas chuckled a bit. "He wasn't as bad as the first one."

"Gaaaah!" Demyx fell back in his seat and dragged his hands down his face. "That guy was just awful. Dreadful! Horrible! I needed a barf bag!"

"Yeah."

Roxas swiveled around when a knock on the hall door was heard. The door tentivly opened with Sora behind it. "Am I still allowed in?"

Demyx bounced out of his seat and glomped Sora like a child getting a new stuffed animal. "You were awesome! No!" Demyx held Sora at arms length. "You were phenomenal!"

"Ditto." Roxas agreed.

Sora blushed a deep crimson. "You're just saying that."

"Really!" Demyx said. He guided Sora over to one of the swivel chairs. "I have been working here for years. I think I know talent when I see it." Sora sat with raised eyebrows. "You worked up here for that long?"

"I have." Roxas said. "Dem is actually a member of the orchestra."

"Whoa! Really?" Sora stared at Demyx admirably. "What do you play?"

"Sitar. Nothing big."

"Nothing big!" Sora exclaimed. "Nothing big he says! I've never met anyone who can play that. I've tried playing that! If you can it for an orchestra you must be amazing!"

"He's our one and only." Roxas added.

"Even more amazing!"

"Yes, yes. Praise me. Adore me."

"Ignore him. His ego is already as big as his sitar. And that thing's big."

"Hey!" Demyx pouted. "My ego is not that big!"

"You don't even know what an ego is."

The taller boy pouted some more. "So?"

Sora laughed. "You guys are funny."

Roxas bobbed his head like someone weighing his options. "To you, probably. To me, it's annoying."

Sora laughed again. The he grew a sober expression. "I…..uh, wanted to ask you guys something."

"What?" Demyx asked.

"…………..How do the Sins work? Leon tried to explain it to me, but I still don't get it. I mean, do you guys get a big beefy weapon, or turn into a hairy monster?"

"Pfft!" Demyx covered his mouth with his hands. He knew exactly whom Sora was referring to.

Roxas smiled "No. Nothing like that." The blond grabbed a notepad and pencil off the dashboard behind him, but first he pressed one of the buttons. A large metal blind slid down from above and covered the windows. "Thought we could use a little privacy. Anyway," He flipped to a random page in the notebook and began scribbling down notes. "The powers granted to Contractors are divided into eight categories."

Sora furrowed his brows together in a confused fashion. "But I though there were only seven Sins."

"There are. And I'll get to that in a minute. Category one is Wrath, which your cousin belongs to. A Contractor under Wrath receives a special weapon that has a unique ability and can only be used by the Contractor Wrath granted it to."

"Like Leon's sword-gun-bazooka-thingy?" Sora asked.

"Yes. Category two is Lust. People who make a Contract with Lust are able to change into an animal."

"Like that bug-er-dog lady?" Demyx just burst out laughing at that.

"Bug dog lady! That is just too perfect!"

Roxas snickered. "She's actually a hyena."

Sora pouted. "That's a dog. I mean, it's part of the canine family."

"Actually hyenas have their own family. They aren't considered canines."

"That's dumb."

"Isn't it though?" Demyx agreed.

Roxas rolled his eyes. These two were so like. "Moving on. The next category is Pride. People who make a Contract with under Pride get their strongest attribute enhanced."

"That sounds useful." Sora commented.

"Sure, depending on what your strongest attributed is."

Demyx groaned. "We used to have a guy who know for being annoying. Then he became the worst guy in the world to deal with."

Sora made a face. "Point taken."

"Next is Greed. Contractors under Greed gain the ability to manipulated certain items."

Sora cocked his head to the side. "How does that work?"

Roxas turned the notepad around. It had a stick figure on a bike. "Say the item is a bike. The Contractor can move it with his mind, make it larger or smaller, or multiply it. Some Greed Contractors can only do one of these things. Some can do all three. It usually depends on the person."

Sora nodded. "I think I get it. So if we all were Greed Contractors, Demy could move the chair, I could move the chair and make it shrink, and you could move the chair, make it shrink, and make five chairs appear."

"Yes and no." Demyx answered.

"No two Contractors can manipulate the same item. The item would also be more personal and most likely more portable."

"I see….."

"Moving on we have Gluttony. Contractors under Gluttony develop sharp teeth and enhanced smell." Roxas turned the notepad around again. This time there was a smiley face with its mouth open, showing off rows of sharp teeth.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't seem helpful."

"The smell enhancement is helpful. And Gluttony is one of the two Sins that don't have any variety in their powers. Everyone under Gluttony has sharp teeth and enhanced smell."

"Kay."

"Sloth's next. The powers granted sound like the name."

Sora cocked his head to the side again. "The Contractors under it are lazy?"

"Funny." Roxas commented. "And slightly true. Most of the powers involve some form of possession or manipulation over people. An sometimes dolls.""

"Oh…………..Now I feel like staying away from toy shops."

Demyx laughed. "That'd actually be pretty smart."

"True. And the last Sin is Envy."

"Yay!" Demyx clapped his hands together childishly. "I'm an Envy Contractor." Sora just stared at Demyx. "What?"

"For some reason I'm not surprised."

"Ouch. That must hurt."

Demyx shrugged. "What can I say? I'm the jealous type."

Roxas groaned. "Don't I know it."

Sora glance back and forth between the two Masquerade members. "What? Wait………….are you two……Dating?"

"No!" The two shouted at once.

"We will never. EVER, date each other."

Sora blinked, still recovering from their reaction. "O-okay……But-"

"He's my _**Teddy Bear**_." Demyx emphasized while glomping Roxas. "I don't let anyone that I don't approve of hug him."

"O-kaaaaaaaaaaaaay."

Roxas shook Demyx off. "Back to the Sins. Envy is the only other Sin that doesn't have any variety in the power it gives out. Every Contractor under Envy has the ability to copy other Contractors ability when they touch them. But the copying only lasts an few hours."

"Yep!" Demyx chirped. "I just copied Roxy's powers!"

"Not that it'll be of any use unless you plan on killing someone." Roxas said

Sora shivered. "Kill? B-but none of the Sins sounded-"

"But they are used for it. Which brings me to our last category. Devils."

Sora gulped. "D-Devils?"

"Sins aren't the only ones that make Contracts with humans. They're just the most common to. Devils live deep in the depth of Hell and rarely invoke themselves in the affair of humans. Contractors under Devils have a few different abilities that may resemble another Sin's power, but it isn't.

Sora examined Roxas closely. "A-are you under a Devil?"

The blond smiled mysteriously and leaned back in his chair. "Maybe I am. Maybe not. But that's for me to know and for you to find out."

Sora pouted childishly. "No fair."

"Life's not fair. Deal."

Demyx spun around aimlessly in his chair. "You left something out."

Roxas spared the Mohawk boy a glance. "Huh? Oh right. Every Contractor has some draw back when they get their powers. Hence why we're called Contractors. We have to do something in return."

"Drawbacks? Like how?"

"A perfect example is Gluttony. When a Contractor under Gluttony receives their powers, they no longer able to eat anything but meat."

The brunette scrunched up his face. "Meat only? Ewwwwwwwwwwww."

Roxas chuckled. "That's one way of looking at it. Some have even developed a taste for human flesh. Their often mistaken for vampires. Girls are all over those ones."

Sora frowned. "I still don't get what girls find romantic about having their blood sucked out of them."

Demyx shot out of his seat. "Same here! I think it's creepy! High five man!" Sora slapped his hand against Demyx's. The older boy wobbled a bit, realizing just how much he was spinning.

"If you're going to barf, kindly do it outside." Roxas said boredly.

Demyx leaned against Sora's chair for support. "It's cool. I'm cool."

Sora laughed.

*Ding. Dong* Chimed from the loudspeaker.

"Thank you for coming to interview here today. The theatre will be closing soon. Pleases exit the same way you came and have a nice day."

"Awwwww." Sora whined. "I was having fun. How did time pass by so quickly?"

"Rules are rules." Roxas said. "Now skedaddle. We gotta pay a visit to Mr. P."

"Mr. P? You mean Mr. Pearl. Isn't he in charge of judging?"

"He's _**one**_ of them." Demyx said emphasizing the one. "There are a few more judges, that go unseen by the actors."

Sora blinked in a confused way, then paled. "You mean like you two were?"

Roxas gave a smile with mischief clearly gleaming in his eyes. "You catch on pretty quick. Demyx I are both judges. We've been working at this theatre so long that they value our opinion on potentially good actors for this theatre."

Sora died a little on the inside. "T-then…….what you said earlier?"

"There is no way!" Demyx exclaimed. "In heaven or hell that you aren't hired!"

Sora's face fell. "I'm not?"

"He used a double negative. He means we're going to hire you."

"Oh." Sora said. It took a few seconds for what Roxas said to sink in. "OH!"

"Nice reaction time." Demyx teased.

Sora blushed. "I failed math, alright?"

"It's cool. Now run along. We've got important judge-like duties to attend to."

Sora nodded and headed out the door. "See you when I see you!" He called.

Demyx and Roxas watched him go.

"He's sweet." Demyx commented.

"Think he'll tell?"

"Naw. He knows his cousin'd flip."

"Mmmm."

"…………..are _**we**_ gonna tell?"

"Not if we value his and our lives. Don't really know what they'd do to us, but if Siax knew we made friends with the kid, he'd kill him or maybe even try to damn him."

"I get the idea." Demyx said frowning. "My lips are sealed."

Roxas looked at Demyx skeptically. "What?"

"You have a big mouth."

"I do not!"

"Well your lips better be sealed and stay sealed." Roxas flipped a switch and the metal blind over the windows started to recede. "Or I'll sew them shut myself."

* * *

Two hours later.

Demyx stretched while he walked with Roxas. "That was a good day of work."

"You didn't do anything." Roxas reminded.

"Well it felt like I did! –oof!" The boy was suddenly tackled from behind. Demyx responded by spinning around and throwing the person to the ground with his hand at their throat.

"Ack!-cough- Demyx! It's me!"

Demyx blinked and released the girl. "Jess! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that."

The girl had short neon blue hair with black tips. She shrugged with a playful smile. "Don't know. Don't care."

Demyx groaned, drawing chuckles from Roxas. "So what brings you here?" The small blond asked. He resumed his walking with the other two close behind.

"I heard you died!" Jess chirped

"Where'd you hear something as stupid as that?" Demyx asked. Jess was bugging him and he wished she'd go away.

Jess plastered a sickly sweet smiled on her face and stuck out her leg. Demyx fell flat on his face. "What the crap!" he shouted.

"You're such a klutz." giggled Jess.

Demyx growled and pushed himself off the ground. "And you're so dead!"

Jess laughed and took off down an alley with the enraged Contractor on her tail.

Roxas laughed at the scene. "Morons."

Soon the blond was left alone. He sighed and ran a hand through his sandy spikes. "If you wanted me alone Xemnas, you should have just asked."

Dark clouds gathered above Roxas position. The street was suddenly deserted and the silence was ringing in Roxas' ears. It was as if everyone sensed a dark presence approaching the street and got the hell away. None of this seemed to bother the small Contractor.

Then there was a tiny flicker. A small orange flame sat on the ground a few feet from Roxas. It seemed content just sitting there flickering when it suddenly burst into a huge roaring fire. Roxas glared hatefully into it, the source of everything horrible that has happened to him. The fire blazed with a bright orange glow, when suddenly a shadow rose up in the center of the fire. It was blurry at first, but it soon became more defined, taking the shape of that of a tall man's.

The shadow moved, reaching out to the blond Contractor. A black gloved hand emerged from the flame, offering itself to Roxas.

Roxas glared at the hand before hesitantly taking it. "Guess I'll be gone for a day or two." The blond murmured. With hand guiding him, he stepped into the flame, melding with the shadow in the center.

The fire roared to life once more, as if Roxas was added fuel, then it died down until slowly until there was only a tiny flickering flame left. That too, smoldered out, leaving the street empty, without even a scorch mark to show that the flame had ever been there.

* * *

Sora got directions to his cousin's place over the phone. Leon had taken Axel and Zexion there while Sora was at the interview.

Leon lived in a huge castle with a group of friends (whom Sora assumed were members of Crest). Considering there were over two dozen extra rooms, Leon decided to extend some charity to his cousin and his two friends.

The castle sat just on the city limits in a dry, under populated area, Leon said they had all pitched in to buy the castle and they made money by renting out the rooms.

When Sora arrived, he just stood staring stupidly at the building. It was huuuuuuuuuuge.

"Big isn't it?" Sora leaped a few feet in the air and landed gracefully on his ass. He turned to the source of the sudden voice behind him. One of Leon's friends was standing there. The black haired one with the cocky smile. What was his name?

The man leaned forward and gave a mock salute. "Haven't introduced myself have I? Name's Zack." He offered Sora a hand. "And just about everybody knows who you are."

Sora pouted and took the hand. "How come everyone knows about me?"

Zack pulled Sora up with one hand and ruffled his chocolate spikes with the other. "Cause Leon likes to brag about what a wonderful, spectacular, phenomenal, unique, caring……"

"I-" Zack covered Sora's mouth with his hand.

"Hold on. I'm not done. Amazing, incredible awe inspiring, Godly spiffy, technology advanced, brilliant, ingenious, great and all around a cool guy."

Sora flushed and dashed into the building. Leon was standing at the foot of a grand staircase. He stared surprised at his cousin up to him. Sora stopped in front of Leon, still blushing embarrassingly, and cried. "How am I technologically advanced?!"

Leon rose his eyebrows. "Come again?"

"He" Sora jerked his thumb at Zack closing the door. "Said you called me technologically advanced, and spiffy, and a whole lot of other flattering crap."

Leon looked over Sora at Zack, who was grinning sheepishly. "I might have been exaggerating. But just a little. You meant it all anyway. And why don't you like people complementing you?"

Sora blushed again. "I just don't"

Leon chuckled and ruffled Sora's hair. "Sora gets embarrassed real easily.

Sora kicked Leon in the shin. "I do not!"

Zack roared with laughter as Leon hopped about on one leg, cursing.

* * *

It's done!

**_Review Corner._**

Thank you everyone that says they like this story. I love you all.

Midnight Spiral: You were closer with wild dog.

MaixcellxNobodyXV: Congratulations! Fist right. But the funny thing is I asked my science teacher what family hyenas were in. And they're really in their own family. Not considered canines.

Anyway Thanks for all the reviews!


	6. Lost and then Found

I'm back! Man, it's 1;30 in the morning. Ah well. I was trying my best to get this published before I went on vacation. And I did. Yay! And tis is very long too. So enjoy~!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Too long." Riku muttered. He had returned to the hideout many hours ago. He had decided to take a nap. When he woke up, Demyx had returned with Marluxia and Jess, but no Roxas. It was now 11:47 pm, and there was no sign of the blond Contractor.

Riku was impatiently pacing the room he, Demyx and Roxas shared. He kept muttering 'too long' and biting his thumb until it bled, which didn't take that long since he was under Gluttony.

Demyx and Jess were sitting on the Mohawk teen's bed while Marluxia was leaning against Riku's ladder. They were all watching the anxious silverette. They all knew where Roxas _**was **_and that was what they were worried about.

"Maybe he just let Roxie go already, and maybe Roxie just wanted to stop somewhere for food." Demyx suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

Riku shook his head. "He would have called us first."

"Maybe he dropped his phone."

"Would've used a pay phone."

"Maybe he had no change."

"He would have come here and told us."

"Look, I'm just trying to lighten the mood here, alright?" Demyx pouted.

"Well it isn't working." Riku said flatly. He hadn't stopped pacing during the entire exchange of words.

Marluxia yawned. "Maybe he's just taking his sweet time with the brat."

Congratulations Pinky. You just won a kick from Jess, a punch from Riku, and a pillow to the face from Demyx.

"You're not helping!" They all yelled.

Marluxia rubbed his new sore areas tenderly. "Well soo~~rry..."

Riku checked the clock once more. 11:58. "That's it." He stated. He grabbed his black trench coat and slid into it. "I'm going to go look for him."

"You can't!" Demyx cried. He leapt off the bed and blocked Riku's path. "You heard what Siax said! 'Stay put or else.' For Pete's sake man! He said '_**or else**_!"

Riku scowled and shoved Demyx out of the way. "I don't give a shit! Roxas is more important than the orders of some blue haired bastard!" The silverette stormed out of the room.

"Alright fine!" Demyx called. He grabbed his navy denim jacket, than ran after Riku while slipping it on. "But I'm going with you!"

Riku grunted, his way of saying 'fine' when he's angry.

Marluxia and Jess were left alone. "Should we go after them?" Jess asked.

Marluxia sighed and scratched his head. "We better not. Everyone's out clubbing and partying, cept for the geezers, so we, well _**I **_should stay to watch the fort. You should go home."

Jess pursed her lips together in a pout. "Whyyyyyy?"

Marluxia rolled his eyes. "Maybe because you're not a member of Masquerade, I dunno. I _**do**_ know that Demyx will kill me if anything happens to you. And Riku. And Roxas. And Luxord. And Hayner. And I quite possibly might kill myself."

Jess giggled. "You're right." She stood and gave the man a quick peck on the cheek before dashing madly out of the room. "Night Marly!"

'Marly' shot up and was held his cheek while shouting after her. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that!? I don't date girls I have a sister-brother complex with!"

* * *

Demyx and Riku had searched the city all the way up to dawn's park. They had been running the entire way. "Hookay." Riku panted. "Let's think through this logically. *pant pant* What are the chances Xemnas dumped Roxas this far in the city?"

Demyx sat on the ground with his back against the Dawn's Park sign. "*pant pant* Pretty likely."

"*pant* And what are the chances we missed?"

"Not *pant* likely."

"And *pant* what are the chance Xemnas still has him?*pant*"

"*Pant* Extremely likely. *Pant*"

Riku groaned in between breaths. "Okay. Let's finish searching the city, I don't want to wake up in the morning and find out Leon caught Roxas again."

Demyx nodded. "Understood."

"Let's split up. We can cover more ground that way, and we'll draw less suspicion from Crest in their territory."

The city was basically divided into three portions, the Western and Southwestern docks that Masquerade ruled, the Eastern and Northeastern farmlands and canyons that Crest ruled, and the neutral no man's land in between, including Dawn's Park.

"Kay." Demyx and Riku stayed another minute to catch their breaths. Then they took off in different directions.

Demyx was running down streets and glancing down alleys and in shops. No one that looked like Roxas, Siax, or Xemnas in sight. Demyx covered about twenty-four blocks before he stopped to take another breather. The teen leaned against a store window and panted heavily. Why did Hollow Bastion have to be so damn big?!

He spared a glance at the street sign. Gemini Way. Huh. How nostalgic. It seemed like just yesterday Demyx was in that alley over there getting the crap beat out of him.

Holy Shit! There's someone in that alley over there getting the crap beat out of him!

Normally Demyx wouldn't bat an eye at this, but he recognized the attacker as another member of Masquerade, another idiotic member that must have a death wish for attacking someone in Crest territory without cause. Demyx sprinted into the alley. He grabbed the attacker and slammed him into a nearby alley wall.

The scarred blond cried out and clawed at Demyx's arm. "What the freak! Get off me loser!"

Demyx slammed the beanie into the wall once more, for good measure, or maybe it was the grudge he had against him. Either way. "Not a chance Seifer!" Demyx hissed. "In fact, I should just slit your throat. Right here. Right now. You know the laws; don't touch Crest territory without orders."

Seifer sneered at his assailant. "Screw that! I do what I want, where I want. And if you're such a goody two shoes, why're you here?"

Demyx threw Seifer at the alley entrance. The blond hit the pavement face first. He rolled over, clutching his now bleeding nose. "Joo! Joo! Jou'll bay!"

Now Demyx sneered. "Whatever you say wuss! Now get your sorry ass back home before I rat you out to Icy-ax!"

Seifer glared defiantly at the Mohawk teen without moving.

"Now!" Demyx screamed.

That did the trick. Seifer scrambled to his feet and got away as fast as he could while holding his bloodied nose. Demyx sneered at him the entire way. He was lost in his own thoughts of how Seifer was gonna get it when he heard shuffling in the alley.

Right, Seifer was beating someone up wasn't he? Demyx gave an inaudible sigh and turned to the victim. Might as well tell the kid this was all just a bad dream and knock him out.

When Demyx actually looked at the teen sprawled on the alley ground he froze. It was that emo kid from Yuffie's bar! What was his name? Zealeon? Zemien? Zexolo? It was Zex something. Heh. Sounded like sex.

Whatever. The kid was shaking while his gaze was locked on Demyx. His heart must've been beating as fast as a bird's. Why was Demyx making the worst first impressions today? He ran a hand through his hair with a tired sigh. "Look kid." He knelt down to the slate haired boy's eye level. "I'm not gonna-"

"Holy Shit!" Demyx whirled around. Perfect. Just what he needed to make things worse. The red urchin head and Sora. Sora alone would have been easier to deal with. Demyx could reason with him. The red head on the other hand started screaming his head off.

"It's that guy! The one from the bar! The one-OHMYGOD! Zexion! What the hell did you do to him you asshole!" Aw crud. Axel cracked his knuckles and had a positively demonic look on his face. "You're going to pay!"

Sora grabbed Axel's arm panic kingly. "Wait Axel-!"

A third party beat him to the punch. Riku had heard the shouting. The silverette had slunk up behind Axel and pinned his arms behind his back. "What the hell are you doing?!" He hissed. "Knock him out so we can escape!"

Axel twisted around, desperately trying to get a good look at his assailant. "Like hell you will! Let me go so I can kick your ass!" He was fazed at all be his injured leg from earlier.

Riku grimaced. He had to tighten his grip on the red head. This kid was strong! And it didn't help that he was taller than Riku. "Demyx do something!"

"Sora!" Axel was struggling with all his might now. "Run! Get help!"

"Demyx!"

"Sora!"

"Everybody just SHUT UP!!!!!"

Demyx screamed. He panted a bit whiled everyone stared surprised at him. He caught his second wind before they did. "I did not-" He pointed to Zexion on the ground. "lay a finger on him at all, much less beat the shit out of him."

Axel growled and started struggling against Riku once more. "Why the hell should I believe you?!"

"I believe you." Sora said, hand raised.

Axel and Riku gaped at Sora. "You do?!"

Sora nodded. Zexion staggered to his feet. He leaned against a nearby wall for support. "I believe him too." Attention turned to Zexion. "The one who attacked me was shorter, more muscular, had shorter hair with a beanie on, and had a scar on his face. I believe you called him Seifer."

Demyx pouted a bit at the description while Riku's eyes widened. "Seifer? He was here? When?"

"About five minutes ago." Demyx crossed his arms with a sigh. "I showed him his place and sent him on his merry old way."

"I wouldn't say merry." Zexion interjected.

"Fine. Bloody old way. Anyways, when I _**tried**_ to help, the red urchin showed up and screamed bloody murder, then you showed up and here we are now."

"Oh." Was all Riku said.

Axel frowned. "Why do you people keep giving me weird names?"

"Cause your hair looks weird?" Sora suggested.

Axel gave Sora an exasperated look. "Thanks Sora. And will someone tell me why you two are such good buddy-buddies?……….Or at least let me go?"

Riku narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust you not to run for help."

Axel growled and struggled a bit more. "Yeah, well, I don't trust you not to kill the three of us without a second thought!"

"Puh-leez!" Demyx stressed waving his hand dismissively. "If we wanted to kill you, you'd be dead and we would be long gone."

"Why are we still here anyway?!" Riku gritted. "We should have knocked them out and left already!"

Demyx rolled his eyes. "Well I was _**going**_ to, but urchin and Sora interrupted, which gave me a good idea, but then you interrupted."

"No, I saved your ass!"

Zexion cocked his head to the side. "Good idea? What would that be?"

"This! Demyx said, turning to the brunette of the group. "Sora, have you seen Roxas?"

Axel scowled. "Now why the hell would he have?"

Sora on the other hand shook his head. "No, not since I left the theatre."

Sora slapped his hands over his mouth when he realized what he had just said while Demyx just palm slapped himself in the face. "All you needed to say was no."

The others were all gaping at the two.

"Wait, wait. Wait." Riku said. "You met him at the theatre?!" Zexion and Axel joined in on that last part. "Why didn't you tell me?!" The silverette shouted.

"Why didn't you tell us?!"

Sora flinched at Axel's harsh tone. "I-I"

"Look-" Demyx said annoyed. Even if that red head was Sora's friend, he didn't have to be so mean. "He didn't tell you cause he knew you would spazz out!"

"And the reason you didn't tell me?" Riku asked coolly.

"'Cause we knew you would've spazzed out too." A cracked voice answered. The boys glanced around wildly. They knew that voice.

"Also, we didn't have time to try, at least away from prying ears anyway." Demyx spun around. There, coming up the back of the alley was the blond they spent the few hours searching for.

"Roxas!" Demyx cried. He sprinted down the alley and glomped his smallest friend without a second thought. "Ohmygawd! You scared me half to death! I thought-!"

"Gods! Let go!" The blond screamed.

Demyx blinked and loosened his grip. Roxas never screamed at him like that. Nor did he normally feel wet. Demyx held Roxas at arms length and gasped. "Sweet Genius!"

The blonde's entire shoulders and backside were covered in blood. If you looked hard enough, you could spot lumps on his back that were broken objects lodged in.

Demyx already knew what happened, he didn't have to ask. But Sora did. When he saw Roxas in the light he practically screamed. "Roxas! What happened?!"

Riku released Axel and was by his injured friend's side in a heartbeat. "You okay?"

"I'm FINE." Roxas said, weakly pushing the boys away. "At the least I will be until we get back."

Axel took a step forward. "You sure Blondie?"

Roxas' head snapped up. "Why do you care?"

The red head froze. Why did he care? What was this feeling Axel had? "Fine." Axel turned away. "Sora, Zexion. Let's go. We need to tell Leon about this."

"No, you don't Roxas said firmly.

Axel turned back around and glared at the blond. "Yes, we do."

"No, You don't"

"YES, we do."

"NO, you don't"

"Yes-" SMACK!

Axel blinked and reached a hand to touch his stinging cheek. In the midst of their argument Roxas had removed the single glove he been wearing on his left hand, and slapped Axel. Demyx covered his eyes while Riku paled. May Roxas have mercy on the red head's soul.

Axel didn't get the hint. He rubbed his cheek and growled. "If you think hitting me's going to change my mind, you're sorely mistaken."

Roxas blinked, Demyx peeked between his eyes, and Riku raised his brows. That wasn't supposed to happen. Roxas recovered and scowled "You're _**NOT**_ going to tell Leon."

"Yes." Axel spat. "I am!"

Roxas stared in shock at Axel. That definitely wasn't supposed to happen. He frowned and pulled Axel's head down, removing the red head's hand from his cheek. The mark wasn't there.

Axel blushed. The brat's face was just inches from his own! What was this kid trying to do? Kiss him?

SMACK!

Never mind. Roxas just smacked him again.

SMACK! And again.

SMACK! And again.

SMACK! And again.

SMACK! And again.

SMACK! And again. For the love of-! Axel grabbed Roxas' hand before it could make contact again. "Would you cut that out!"

Roxas flinched and stared wide-eye at Axel. Why wasn't it working?

Axel started to say something when he noticed Roxas' hand. There was a black, ornate number burned onto the palm. 666.

"What-?" Axel started, but Roxas yanked his hand away. The blond stared at his hand, then Axel, then his hand again. Then he took Demyx's arm, and smacked it suddenly.

"Owww." Demyx complained. "What was that for?" Roxas ignored the taller boy and examined the spot of the teen's arm he had just hit. Slowly, very slowly, Demyx's skin started to develop a burn. "Oh! Ah! Ah! Hot! That's hot!" After twenty seconds, the number that was burned into Roxas' hand, 666, was burned into the spot on Demyx's arm that Roxas had hit.

Zexion and Sora stared incredulously at the mark. "What the-?"

SMACK!

Roxas had hit Axel again.

The red head screamed his frustration. "Why do you keep hitting me?!"

Roxas ignored him and started banging his palm on the wall. "This thing's defective." He muttered.

Axel's jaw dropped. "You're hand's………defective….."

Demyx tapped Roxas on the shoulder. "Maybe it isn't your hand that's defective."

"Roxas glared at Axel. "You're defective."

Axel scowled. "What are you even trying to do?"

Riku jumped in. "None of your concern since it doesn't seem to work on you. Now you will not tell Leon and I'll tell you why. Leon will go nuts and everyone will hear about it, including other members of Masquerade. If our boss hears about it, the six of us are all dead."

Sora paled. "You didn't tell me that."

"We didn't want to worry you." Demyx said. "And we trusted you not to tell."

Axel was both frightened and confused. "You………don't want Sora dead?"

Demyx frowned. "Now why the hell would you think that? We love this kid." He spared Riku a glance. "Well Roxas and I do anyway."

"What brought this on?" Zexion asked.

Demyx was going to answer when a faint shout reached their ears. "Sora! Axel! Zexion! Where'd you guys go?" It was Yuffie.

"Never mind." Riku said. "You don't need to know."

Demyx thought otherwise. "Go to the Music Café on Woods St. We'll answer your questions there."

"Demyx!"

"What? We might as well tell them."

"You're digging our graves!"

"You don't have to come. You just have keep it secret."

"Rrrgh!" Riku fisted his hands in his hair. Demyx was going to get them all killed! "Fine, I'm going. But only because I'm not going to let you get yourselves killed because you suck at be stealthy."

"Hey!" Demyx protested. "I can too be stealthy!"

"Rarely."

"Enough!" Roxas shouted. Yuffie's calls were getting closer. "We have to go. Now!"

Roxas turned and sped off down the alley. Demyx and Riku followed, while glaring at each other.

They disappeared from the trio's sight just as Yuffie turned the corner. "There! Found you! Thought you could hide from the Great Yuffie didya?" The short haired girl boasted as she waltzed up to the group. "Well how very foolish! I spent years-holy Moose-what happened to emo kid?!"

Yeah, that's right. Seifer had beat Zexion half to death. Axel was conflicted. Was Masquerade telling the truth, or were they bluffing. If it got out that Blondie, the Mohawk kid, and Sora were friends, would they really be killed? Should Axel lie, or tell the truth? Zexion answered Axel's questions by saying. "Some idiot tried to mug me."

Sora nodded vigorously. "Yeah! We found him beating Zexion, but he ran when he realized that he wasn't alone."

Yuffie examined the slate haired boy concerned. "Are you okay?"

Zexion gave a small smile. "I ache all over ad will no doubt have nasty bruises in the morning, but I think I'm still in one piece."

Yuffie pursed her lips. "I'm not taking any chances. Let's get you to Leon's. Aerith, the friend that's going to take a look at Axel's leg is here. She can take a look at you too while she's at it."

Zexion gave a nod while Axel sighed. "Finally. Took the woman long enough.

"Well she does have a job."

"Whatever. Let's just head back before something else happens."

"Alright. Hope you're up for a walk Axel."

"Yeah, Yeah."

While they were walking/limping to the bus stop, Axel leaned over and whispered to Zexion. "About what they said."

"Later." Zexion hissed back.

And it was left at that until they got to the castle.

* * *

Roxas' energy gave out not even five blocks from where they left the trio. Demyx caught him when he threatened to collapse. He loaded the poor boy onto his back and continued to the warehouse. Along the way Riku kept shooting his friend concerned glances. They ran the entire way. Most of the Masquerade members had exceptional stamina due to excessive training, but that didn't keep Riku and Demyx from arriving at their hideout out of breath.

When they arrived there was a group of six sitting around the small rec area they had, playing Playstation. Four were playing, one was watching, and the sixth was reading a book. The four playing consisted of a girl with wine colored hair, a blond man with a beard and may piercings, an odd man with scars on his face, an eye patch and long tied back hair with a grey streak, and Larxene. Seifer was watching while a silver haired girl with hair covering one of her eyes read a book. She had an odd doll with a black pointed head and an odd wizard's hat.

They all turned their attention to the entrance doors when they banged open. Well, Seifer and the silver haired girl looked up; the other four were too engrossed in their game.

Seifer scowled deeply when he saw Demyx. He crossed his arms and turned back to the TV in a huff. He had a bandage over his nose as evidence from his scuffle with Demyx earlier. "Da chiben was dis bab." His sinuses were still out of whack.

Fuu was the only one to notice the blond one Demyx's back. "Roxas."

Seifer snorted, but it came out as an odd strangled noise. "Whab aboub dim?"

Riku ignored the immature blond. "Where's Vexen."

In whatever game they were playing, the wine haired girl died. She frowned at the screen. "Probably still in his lab from fixing Seifer up, why?"

She turned to look at them when Demyx and Riku had turned and headed to Vexen's lab. It gave her a clear view of Roxas' back. When the wine haired girl saw she gasped. "Holy shit!! What happened to Roxas?!"

That got everyone's attention. The room filled with collective gasps and swears.

"Damn…"

"What happened?"

"Aw hell…that looks painful."

The blond haired man scrambled to his feet and ran after Riku and Demyx as they entered the Lab. "What the hell happened?!"

"We're not sure, alright?" Demyx growled as they descended the stairs. They had they're own basement that they constructed themselves.

The lab had a long counter that cover three of the four walls. The counter had numerous cabinets, a sink, and was cover in papers, journals, and racks of test tubes. In the center of the room was a large stainless steel examination table with restraints hanging off the side.

Vexen was sitting on a stool in front of the counter examining a test tube with a pair of glasses perched on his nose. He sighed when he heard the foot falls behind him. "Who beat the shit out of whom this time?" He put the test tube back on a rack, took off his glasses, and turned around on his stool. He blinked in surprise at the group. "Good heavens! What happened? Never mind. Lay him on the table."

Demyx nodded while Vexen stood to wash his hands. The teen gently laid Roxas on the table, face down. "Roxie? You awake?"

The blond stirred and cracked his eyes open. "Unfortunately, yeah."

Luxord frowned and ran a hand through Roxas' hair sadly. If Roxas ever needed a Father role, Luxord was there to fill it. Even before Masquerade. "It was Xemnas, wasn't it?"

Roxas closed his eyes and nodded weakly. "Later." He whispered. He was too tired to go over it.

"Later is right." Vexen said. He pushed a metal cart to the table next to Roxas. On it were two or three scalpels, two pairs of tweezers, and a crapload of swabs. "Brace yourself. This will sting" Vexen took a swab and started dabbing up the blood on the small boy's back.

Roxas sucked in his breath and gritted his teeth. That did sting, like all hell.

Luxord, Riku, and Demyx looked on sadly as Vexen worked with a grim face. The five I the basement were the oldest members of Masquerade, and therefore the closest. Hell, the entire gang started with Roxas and Luxord. They were just teens angry with the world doing small time crimes that soon developed into large scaled capers. Along the way they picked up Demyx and Riku. Vexen sort of dropped in on them. More and more people joined after that until it became the Masquerade that it was today.

Vexen put aside his fourteenth swab and sighed. "This is worse than I thought." Most of the blood had been cleaned away. Roxas back was a nasty red, covered in one large scrape. Over the scrape were viscous lash marks from most likely a whip and the worst of it all, large visible shards of glass and broken metal were lodged deep in his back.

"Gods." Demyx breathed.

"Oh Roxas." Riku said sympathetically.

Vexen selected a pair of tweezers and a large swab of cotton. "Luxord, hold that swab there in his mouth. I have no anesthetic and we don't want him biting off his own tongue."

Luxord nodded grimly. He took the swab and held it in front of Roxas' mouth. Riku and Demyx each took one of the small blonde's hands. Vexen positioned the tweezers over a shard and the swiftly grabbed at it and pulled.

The pain was horribly excruciating. Roxas' mouth clamped down mercilessly on the cotton while he squeezed the feeling out of his friends' hands.

The shard made a clinking sound as it hit the cart. Vexen wiped his brow. One down. Umpteenth more to go. Vexen eyed the small blonde's shaking body. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Jeez. I really do like picking on Roxas don't I? Nyway.

**Review Corner**

**Thank you for your reviews.**

**The only one that seemed to qualify as a question was 'what mad Roxy hook up with a devil?'**

**Well that is a looooong story for another time.**

**If you have questions be sure to post them in the reviews so that I may answer.**


	7. Q&A Café

I live! And I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I can't seem to get a good flow of ideas just in my home. Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters**

* * *

"You really should be careful. This city can be really dangerous at night, in any part of it."

Zexion winced as Aerith dabbed an ointed cotton swab on his scraped cheek.

When they got back to the castle Leon nearly went homicidal. He was positive Masquerade attacked Zexion. (They did but they weren't about to yell him that.) Sora calmed Leon down and after lots of insisting, convinced the older man that it was just a regular mugger after money.

The three newbies and the brown haired woman known as Aerith were in one of the upstairs rooms. Axel had already been treated and was laying stretched over one of the three beds in the room. Zexion sat on the second with Aerith treating him on a stool. Sora was on the third bed watching Aerith anxiously. "He's gonna be okay, right?"

"He'll be just fine." Aerith assured. "He just needs a good night's rest and to change his bandages every day."

"And to not get mugged again." Axel added blandly. Though his words had the secret underline meaning of 'to not see those Masquerade creeps again.'

Aerith didn't seem to pick up the underline meaning. She giggled as she was placing a band aid on Zexion's cheek. "That's true too. There!" She patted the band aid happily. "All done." She gathered up her supplies. "Try not to get hurt anymore."

Zexion nodded. "I will. Thank you."

Aerith smiled brightly as she left the room. She made her way back to the grand staircase in the main entrance hall. Leon was waiting there, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed.

"So what's the verdict?"

Aerith sighed. She was not only a good Nurse but a great psychological examiner. "He wasn't mugged."

"I got that part." Leon said bitterly. "He had a full wallet when he got back."

"And his wounds were too brutal, too precise. A mugger would normally just threaten, vaguely wound. They want to get their goods and get out of there. He had way too many hits for it to be a normal mugger. Someone was trying to beat him to death."

Leon pushed off the rail and fell in step with Aerith down the stairs. "I got all that. I want to know why they're lying about it."

"To cover someone up. I don't know who or why though."

Leon sighed while running a hand through his hair tiredly. "Well, thanks for trying anyway. I'll try asking about it later."

"Well let them rest tonight, er, the rest of the morning. What are you up to during the day?"

"We're cleaning some rooms out for them to have as their own. All the extra rooms are either crowded with someone's crap or are too dirty to live in. Though the boys are planning on going out to lunch at a café in the midtown. I'll probably send Hayner or someone with them to keep an eye on them."

Aerith shook her head. "They won't like that."

"Then don't tell them."

Back in the guest room, the boys had called it a night. They had turned out the lights and were attempting to get some sleep.

Sora was lying awake staring blankly at the ceiling. How could he possibly sleep? This day, er, yesterday was just too chaotic! He met some gang members, was attacked by some gang members and befriended some gang members. Wow! Nothing like this ever happened him back home. Oh, wait. This was his home now, wasn't it?

"Hey Sora?" The brunette turned over. Axel was laying on his side staring at him. "Can't sleep?"

Sora shook his head. "You?"

"Not a wink. I couldn't stop thinking about that blond kid."

"You mean Roxas?"

"Yeah, sure. You met him at the Theatre, right?"

"well, since the cat's already out of the bag, yeah, I did."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Sora frowned and shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "I was going to. Honest. I just didn't a chance to. I was going to wait until I was alone with just you and Zexion. But before I could…….Well we found those guys and they told you."

Axel studied Sora a while. Finally he nodded. "I believe you." And he did. Sora rarely lied, though when he did, you couldn't tell the truth from the lie. But Sora had been friends with Axel for so long that it was morally impossible for the kid to lie to him.

"We're still going to see them tomorrow…..right?" Sora asked hesitantly. He was still worried about Roxas.

"We're still going." Axel and Sora jumped a bit.

"Did we wake you Zexion?"

"I hurt too much to sleep."

"Oh…"

"You sure you wanna go man?" Axel asked concerned. "No one would blame you for not going."

"If we want to keep Sora being friends with them hidden from Leon, then we're going to have to stay together. Besides…." The slate haired boy trailed off uncertainly.

"Besides?"

"….I never got to thank the tall one for rescuing me."

Axel blinked. "You mean he really didn't beat you up? I thought you were only saying that 'cause he was still there."

Sora shot up on the bed and flung a pillow at the red head. "Of course he didn't do it! It was-" He paused briefly as he heard the faint approach of footsteps. "-the butler! The butler did it! There was no way the cute maid could have done it!"

Zexion and Axel looked at the brunette like he was crazy, but Leon, who was passing by through the hall chuckled. "Stop raving about some drama mystery and go to bed Sora!"

Sora grinned and laid back down in bed. "Yes Leon!" He lowered his voice to a quiet whisper. 'We'll talk about this at the café tomorrow."

Zexion and Axel both nodded and let themselves drift off to sleep.

* * *

Vexen slumped onto a stool and leaned against the counter tiredly.

An hour and a half. That's how long it took to remove all of the shards of glass and metal from, reswab, and bandage Roxas' back.

The blond had been awake during the entire ordeal, squeezing his eyes shut, and the feeling out of Riku and Demyx's hands. But not once did he cry out of make any other form of noise, until Vexen was finished anyway.

Once Vexen announced he was finished and Luxord removed the cotton swab, Roxas let out a pained moan.

"You okay buddy?" Luxord asked.

With some effort, Roxas managed to nod. "Yeah."

"For the next few days Roxas needs to get some rest." Vexen said. "No missions and minimal work."

"Fun." Roxas muttered. The teen pushed himself up until he was sitting on the edge of the table. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Demyx stood in front of Roxas, back to the boy, and knees slightly bent. "Get on. I'm not letting you walk up two flights of stairs."

Roxas obliged, he was too tired to argue with the older boy. Demyx stood up once the blond was properly positioned on his back. "Thanks for your help Vexen."

The man waved his hand in a dismissive, tired fashion. "Just……feel better soon Roxas." He was about to say 'don't get into anymore fights' but he stopped himself when he remembered that that wasn't the case.

The three males plus Roxas slowly filed back up the basement stairs and out of the basement.

It was early in the morning. Everyone that was downstairs earlier had retired to their own rooms.

Demyx wasted no time taking Roxas up to their room. Luxord shared the room in the curtain over with Marluxia. The older blond spared Roxas one last glance before retiring to his own room for the night. Demyx gently laid Roxas on his side on the air mattress bed. "There you go little buddy."

Roxas didn't respond. He had fallen asleep.

Riku watched Demyx sigh sadly. "I really hate that man."

Riku pulled his shirt of and tossed it under his bed. "He's not a man Dem. He's a monster that should have stayed in the deepest pits of hell."

Demyx let out another long sigh and sat down next to Roxas on the bed. "I know, I know. But that doesn't change the fact that there's nothing we can do to help."

Riku climbed up into his bunk. "That's not entirely true."

"I know, but…." Demyx laid down next to Roxas, running a hand through the small boy's blond spikes. "It's true enough to make me feel like it."

* * *

It was a well known fact throughout Masquerade that Demyx sucked at video games. It mattered not the type he played, because the results were always the same. Demyx died/lost/failed.

Currently a very amused Roxas and Riku were sitting on the couches of an empty café playing Mario Kart DS with Demyx, and of course, they were beating the snot out of the Mohawk teen.

"Rrgh. Nmg. Nnnnnnnnnn. Stop shrinking me dammit!"

Riku chuckled, expertly moving his Bowser character around Demyx's shrunken Yoshi. "It's the point of the game."

Demyx scowled darkly. "No it's not!"

"You're right." Roxas agreed. "It's not."

"Thank you!" Demyx cried.

"_**This**_ is." Roxas let fly a group of red shells, taking out both Demyx and Riku's characters, allowing his own Toad to take the lead and win the race.

Demyx gaped at his screen while Riku simply frowned. "I thought you were injured."

Roxas closed his DS and tossed it in the bag at his feet. "Like that'll keep me from rockin your asses."

Riku closed up his own DS and tossed it in the bag too. "I'll keep that in mind for the next time I want my ass rocked."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Smartass. Demyx, stop staring at the screen like a goldfish. It's not gonna make you win."

The teen didn't seem to hear him. He just stared gaping at the game screen. "Bu…..Bu bu…..Wuh….I drive….and…..Whoooo-clonk."

Riku took the Ds from Demyx. "I know Dem. I was there."

Roxas smirked. "He's just shell shocked by my awesome gaming skills."

This time the silverette rolled his eyes, and then something outside caught his attention. "I spy the new outties."

Demyx's head snapped up so fast that there was an audible 'pop'. "Where? Where?!"

Roxas glanced outside. "Calm down spazz. There out-Oh my effin gawd."

The reason for our blonde's rather crude outburst is very amusing. For outside and across the street was Sora, warding off Axel with what appeared to be a small pink hairbrush.

Riku, Roxas, and Demyx watched as the brunette went about jabbing the small hair instrument in the red head's general direction. Zexion was standing behind the red head, very much amused. Axel seemed to be pleading the smaller boy. Then he spotted the Masquerade boys in the window. He spoke to Sora, who immediately turned around to look. No sooner after did the boy dash straight across the street and into the café. He stood at the door catching his breath, then he dashed for the nearest Masquerade member, which just happened to be Riku.

"Hide me" Was all he offered before Axel came bursting through the door.

"I said I was sorry!" He whined.

Sora started jabbing at Axel's general direction again. "Back! Back I say!"

"Sora!"

Roxas and Demyx took a moment to observe the scene unfolding in front of them, before they burst out laughing.

"Shut up!" Axel yelled. "This isn't funny!"

"Of course it isn't." Roxas snickered. "It's damn hilarious!" and the two burst into another fit of laughter.

"I said shut up!"

Riku snickered a bit too. He found it amusing that Axel had forgotten that he had been shaking in his shoes yesterday at the sight of the three, and today he had the gull to yell at him. "Just back up a bit. What exactly is going on?"

Zexion walked through the door with a smile on his face. "Axel has a unique way of waking people up."

Sora frowned, trying harder to hide behind Riku. "he duped a bucket of ice water on me!'

"Demyx does that to us a lot." Riku said.

"It was full of spaghetti!"

"….the hell?" Was all Riku could manage while Roxas and Demyx fell into another, harder fit of laughter.

"Were-" Demyx gasped. "Were there meatballs?"

"Oh yes," Zexion informed. "An red sauce with mushrooms and onions."

Axel groaned as the two Masquerade boys laughed even more. Sora's had a lovely crimson color as he tried to shrink behind Riku.

"Sora cleaned himself up, and when Axel arrived at the bathroom with a bowl of cereal, he flipped and chuck whatever he coup at him. We left the place with Sora keeping Axel at bay with…..well." The slate haired boy gestured vaguely at the small pink hair brush.

"Just let me get one thing clear." Roxas said. He still had his laughing face on. "You're staying at your cousin's, Leon's, right?"

"Yeah."

"And that little pink brush isn't any of yours?"

"No."

"So I'm wondering, how did you find a little pink hairbrush in your big, bad, buff, cousin's house."

Sora, Axel, and Zexion were all greatly surprised at the question, it hadn't occurred to them. Then, starting with a few chuckles, the group burst into another fit of full blown laughter.

"What _**is **_a pink brush doing at your cousin's place?"

"I have no idea."

After the boys calmed down, the three newbies seated themselves. Sora squeezed himself in between Riku and Roxas while Axel and sat on the couch opposite them.

Axel picked at the wearing couch leather. "Soooo…what now?"

"You three." Roxas pointed out. "Were the ones with questions. We invited you here for your benefit. So fire away."

"All right. I'll start." Riku said.

Axel frowned at this. "Why do you get to start?"

"Because I asked nicely."

"No you didn't. You announced it without asking anyone else."

"Because I can rip you apart and leave no evidence."

"Axel." Zexion cautioned. "I suggest you let him go first."

Demyx, on the other hand, frowned. "Riku, that's not nice."

The silverette rolled his eyes. "If I promise to be nice will you let me ask my question first?"

"I agree." Axel said.

"As do I." Was the slate haired boy's response.

Sora smiled at Riku. "Go ahead!"

The silverette blushed ever so slightly. This kid was kinda cute. The blush wasn't enough for the outties to see, but enough for the other two Masquerade members. _**Blackmail Gold.**_

"Right. Well. How did you guys meet at the Theatre?"

"I was wondering that too." Zexion voiced.

Axel cocked his head to the side. "Yeah, Sora just went to get his interview and reschedule mine."

"Oh," Riku said. "Well that makes more sense."

"What do you mean?"

Demyx and Roxas raised their hands. "We work there."

"You what?!" Axel cried

"Oh don't go getting freaked now." Riku groaned. "We aren't going to kill you."

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's the others."

"Well you don't have to. Dem and Rox are the only ones that work there. The only time anyone else goes is to watch or to help with heavy lifting."

"What about you?" Sora asked.

Riku blinked. "What about me?"

"I mean what do you do?"

The silver brows creased. "Why do you care?"

Sora shrugged. "Curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Satisfaction brought it back."

"And stupidity killed its owner." Roxas finished for them. "Just answer Sora's question. This is a Q&A session."

Riku grumbled. "I know, I know. I work for a costuming company doing odd jobs. Packaging. Delivering."

"Modeling." Demyx added, earning himself a slap upside the head from the silverette.

"They don't need to know that!" Zexion hid his face behind his hand while Axel smirked openly. Riku glared at the two. "I believe it's your turn to ask."

Axel rubbed his hands together. "Well then, as long as we're asking any old questions-" "Keep it within reason." "-What are we called?"

Demyx did a double take. "Er……What do you mean?"

Axel pushed himself forward on the couch. "Well, I mean you guys are called Masquerade, and Leon's gang is called Crest, so what does that make us?" He gestured to Sora, Zexion, and himself.

"Outties."

"Outties?"

"Outties."

"Isn't that a term used for bellybuttons?" Sora giggled.

"So you call people that aren't in gangs outties?"

"Not all of them. Just people close to or useful to the members."

"Oh."

A waitress came by. A petite blond with blue eyes. "Can I get you boys anything?"

"Soda." Roxas stated.

"Caramel mocha." Came from Demyx.

"Water." Was Riku's choice.

Axel rose a brow. "Do you guys come here often, or do you just always know what you want offhand?"

"You got your question." Roxas said. "Order something and let someone else ask."

The red head frowned. "You never said there was a limit."

"You can ask again after everyone else has. Now quit whining and order something."

"Fine. I'll have some black coffee."

The waitress nodded with a smile. "And you?" I'll have a strawberry smoothie Sora chirped.

"And I would like some green tea."

The waitress nodded and left.

"My turn!" Demyx smiled. "How long have you three known each other?"

"Don't you think that's getting a little too personal?" Axel asked.

Riku examined the couch pillows boredly. "Don't you think asking someone about their job is a little too personal?"

Axel shut his mouth. The silverette had a good point. "Just answer the question. It's not like we want to know every detail about it."

"Well," Zexion started. "I believe I met Axel, oh……three years ago maybe?"

"Four." Sora corrected. "You guys were seniors, remember?"

"Yes that's right."

Axel gave a whistle. "Has it really been that long? Doesn't seem it."

"I know!"

Riku smirked. "That wasn't so bad now was it?"

The red head grinned back. "I guess not!"

"Zexion's turn!" Sora announced.

The slate haired boy blinked. "I haven't really thought of any…"

"Make one up!" Demyx cheered. "This is fun!"

Zexion furrowed his delicate brows. "Alright….How long you three been in your gang?"

Axel frowned. "I don't really think we should-"

"Since it started.' The three Masquerade boys answered at once, catching Axel off guard.

"….Wha?"

Riku rolled his eyes for the third time that day. "We've been in M-rade since its founding."

"Uhh….M-rade?"

"The walls have ears."

"Oh." Then Axel's frown deepened. "But earlier I said-"

"Moving on.' Roxas interrupted. "My question is this: What are you three planning to do?"

Axel blinked stupidly at the question, as did Zexion and Sora. "Again?"

The waitress came by with their drinks just then. They were all in tall clear glasses. Roxas waited until she had left before speaking again.

"What do you intend to do now? Keep this secret? Or blab it to the world?"

Sora took a long, blissful slurp before answering. "I'm not gonna tell, I like living and being friends with you guys."

Riku blinked, then smiled. This kid was naïve, but sweet.

The moment was ruined when Demyx clamored over the silverette to give Sora a bear hug. "Thank you! I like being friends with you too!" He was kneeling on top of Riku.

The silverette gritted his teeth and shoved Demyx off. "Get off!"

"Ah!" The taller boy fell off the couch in a heap as Riku scooted into the seat Demyx had resided in. The Mohawk teen sat on the floor scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry bout that Riku."

"I don't have any intentions of talking about this either Zexion said. "I don't want to die anytime soon either."

"And you peacock?" Roxas asked, taking a sip of his soda.

Axel visibly twitched. The kid was still calling him a peacock! He gave a strained grin. "I promise not to tell, if you promise to stop calling me a peacock!"

Roxas grinned. This guy was so amusing. "That is by far the most stupid deal I've ever heard of."

Axel scowled. "Too bad! Cause-"

"Deal."

The red head choked on his words. "What?"

"We have a deal." Roxas said simply, taking another swig of his soda.

"But you just said-"

"I said it was stupid. I didn't say I wouldn't take it."

"Oh, well then, we're cool."

"Glad we agree, feather duster."

Axel slammed his hands on the table between the couches. "What did I just say?!"

"You made me promise not to call you a peacock. You never said I couldn't call you anything else." The blond watched Axel twitch, straining himself from mauling the kid.

Ooooohhhh yeas. This man was very amusing.

"Okay! Can I can ask another question?"

As if in answer, there was a loud boom, shaking the café, and a few things in it. A vase was shaken off a tables, shattering as it hit the floor.

Axel shot out of his seat wide-eyed with Zexion following suit. "What the hell was that?!"

"That's your cue to leave." Riku said rising to his feet. "Now scram."

"But-"

"Get going." Demyx said. "If it's either of our gangs, we're screwed if we're seen together."

Zexion and Axel got the hint and were at the door. Sora was moving more hesitantly.

"You guys better be at the Theatre tomorrow."

Roxas waved them off as they left.

The three waited a good eight minutes until another boom sounded, before they headed out the doors themselves.

Outside, in the middle of the street was some green haired punk standing in a crater in the ground. Some idiot that had just made a contract with a Sin and was rampaging around. He was laughing insanely. People were running away screaming.

The three Masquerade members stared poker face at the kid. They knew the type, and they hated it. The kid gave another laugh as he leapt, charging at Riku.

The silverette simply caught the kid by the face and lifter him off the ground. "You're annoying." He smashed the kid's head to the ground, crushing it and sending up a spray of blood that drenched the three. "Just die."

"Eww!" Demyx squealed.

Roxas just sighed. "That totally killed what was left of the mood."

Riku stood back up, licking the blood off his hands. "I hate people like him. Just because we're Contractors doesn't mean we're Gods. Hell I don't even want to be a Contactor anymore."

"Ditto." The other two said at once.

"Just forget him." Demyx glanced around at the people that now stood terrified of them. "I'm glad those kids didn't have to see that."

"Let's blow before the cops show."

The three boys walked down a nearby alley and were gone, only leaving the headless corpse as evidence that they were there.

* * *

Review Corner

The only question that I got was what did Xemnas do to Roxas.

Well he whipped him, and then Roxas said a few snitty remarks and Xemnas lost his temper and threw a bunch of crap at him, including a vase, window glass, and apparently shredded metal. I'm only telling you this because I'm not going to write it down any where in the chapters to come.

Thanx for the reviews and send me your questions.


	8. The Tickling Before the Job

I live!!!! I'm sooo sorry for how long this took. I blame procrastination! Anywho, enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**

* * *

Sora, Axel, and Zexion wasted no time getting as far away from the café as possible. They had no wish to meet whoever was rhe cause of those shockwaves, be they from Crest or Masquerade.

They had gone about four blocks before they stopped for a breather. They didn't have Masquerade stamina. Axel and Zexion leaned against a light pole tiredly catching their breaths while Sora sat slouched on the curb. "You think they're okay?" The brunette asked.

Axel waved a tired hand dismissively. "They'll be fine. They're Confronters."

"Contractors." Zexion corrected.

"Whatever."

Sora sat there panting when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. There was a boy, just a boy. He was about Sora'd height with blond hair and brown eyes. He was heading towards the., not actually to them but in their general direction. What caught Sora's attention was how nervous the boy seemed. His arms were crossed and he was hunched over muttering.

Sora took a breath and stood just as the boy was about to pass them. "Hey, are you okay?"

The boy paused his walking, but he was still hunched over. He shook his he rapidly. "Nope. I'm dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. D-E-D. Dead."

Axel rose a brow. "You look pretty alive to me kid."

"Going to be. Going to be dead. Going to be killed. WhatshouldIdo? WhatshouldIdo?"

Zexion sighed. "Okay, first of all,_**Why**_ are you dead?"

The kid finally looked up and yelled "Whoa!" When he did.

The trio blinked. "Whoa what?"

This time the kid blinked. "Uh….Nothing. Forget I said anything. I'm not dead." The kid laughed sheepishly. "So, uh, who're you?"

The red head pointed his thumb to himself. "Axel."

The brunette smiled. "Sora!"

The slate haired teen stared at the kid warily. "Zexion."

The blond grinned cheerily. "Good to meet'cha all! The name's Hayner."

Sora nodded. Then he took on a concerned look. "You sure you're all right?"

Hayner pounded his chest proudly like an ape. "Course I am! Why wouldn't I be? I was just joking with you earlier. You know? Yanking your chain!"

Axel rose his brows in an unamused fashion. "You seemed pretty serious to me."

Hayner gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "You're just being a sourpuss is all."

Axel frowned and crossed his arms. Like hell he was! Something was off about this kid. If he was pulling their legs earlier, then Axel was a priest. And he wasn't.

The head's thoughts were interrupted by a question from the blond. "So what are you guys up to? Catching a bite to eat maybe?"

"Actually we were just heading home." Sora chirped.

Hayner blinked and seemed to pale a little bit. Axel Axel's eyes narrowed at the reactions. Why did hearing that the three were going home bother him? "You alright there bud?" Axel asked. "You seem a little pale. You aren't sick are you?"

Hayner started a bit. It was only a little, but it was enough to convince Axel that Hayner was on edge again.

"Ah? O-Oh. No, I'm not sick. I just remembered that I have somewhere to be! Gotta go! Bye!" Hayner turned and hightailed it back the way he came.

Zexion and Sora watched with raised brows while Axel watched with narrowed eyes. "…..Something about that kid bugs me." The red head grumbled.

"I noticed too." Zexion agreed.

"Nonsense." Sora chirped. He turned and locked his hands behind his head as he begun walking. "You two are just being paranoid old men. Now let's go. I want some of Leon's home cooking."

If the two were annoyed about being called paranoid old men they hid it well. "Leon can cook?" Axel asked as he caught up with Sora.

"Course he can! He cooks way better than you!"

"That isn't saying much, Sora." Zexion pointed out. "Axel can't cook a decent meal to save his life, much less feed someone."

"Hey!" The red head crowed. "I'm right here you know!"

"Oh?" Zexion looked at Axel as if he had just appeared. "You are? Ididn't notice. Did you Sora?"

"Nope." The brunette whistled happily.

"You guuuuuyss!" Axel whined pitifully. "Cut it out!"

"Did you hear something Sora?"

"Not a thing."

"C'mon!"

* * *

"Grody. Sticky. Sticky. Grody." Demyx bounced into the warehouse muttering like it was some kind of prayer. "EEEEEEYUCK! Shower! Need a shower! Want a shower! Let me at the shower!" The teen made a break for a door near the basement one, only to receive a nice punch to the gut. "Back of the line!" Larxene informed acridly. "I'm next!"

As nice as it was to live together as one big dysfunctional family, there was one large flaw. All the members had to share two showers, boys and girls alike. The showers were built into the walls on opposite ends of the bathroom with curtains of course. But that still didn't help keep a line for the showers from building up.

Demyx doubled over holding his stomach. "Owww….Why'd you have to punch me?!"

The blond Contractor shrugged. "A whim maybe? I dunno. I just felt like it."

Riku stifled a laugh as he entered the room with Roxas grinning at his side. Larxene rose a brow when she finally took in their appearance. The three males were still splattered with blood, that was starting to dry and crust. "Either it's been raining blood, or you went hunting with Riku again."

"Neither." Both boys responded at the same time. They looked at each other, then laughed as if they had just shared some great inside joke.

Larxene frowned. How can anyone laugh when they were covered in blood? :So then giggle buddies, what were you doing?"

"Well." Riku sat on one of the couches. "We ran into a rather unpleasant Contractor." Roxas melded into one of the bean bags with a game controller in hand.

Larxene brought a brow up again. "And?"

Demyx, after recovering from the blow from Larxene dragged another bean bag to sit next to Roxas and watch him play. "Riku squished the guy's head."

Larxene's face twisted in disgust. "Okay, ew."

"I know, right? What game are you playing?"

"Red Ninja."

Demyx frowned. "That game's too bloody."

"Then don't watch."

Demyx huffed and crossed his arms. Despite his clear displeasure, He stuck around to watch.

About ten minutes into the game Larxene glanced at her little pink wrist watch and let out an exasperated groan. "What is taking them so damn long?!"

"Who's in there?" Riku asked.

"Kairi and Paine."

Roxas let out a snort. "You might want to get a book."

Larxene thought about the boy's suggestion for a moment, then nodded. "Good point." She strode over to Demyx and jabbed her finger at him. "It's _**my**_ turn in the shower next so don't even _**think**_ about taking it!"

Demyx frowned as he leaned away from the offending finger. "Why are you only saying this to me?"

Larxene was already to the spiral stairs. "Because you're the only one in the room known to do something like it."

Riku snickered a bit once the female was out of the room. "She's right you know."

Demyx let out a huff and went back to watching Roxas' game.

Less then two minutes after he did the bathroom door opened, Out of it came two females. One was rather tall with spiked gray hair and red eyes. (Look her up to see her outfit) The other girl had wine red hair that was straight and came just at her shoulders. She had blue eyes and wore a short pink dress that had black lace rimming every edge, with black spaghetti straps. She wore black lace stockings and platforms with it.

The wine haired girl was first to speak. "Roxas! Riku! Demyx! You're back!" She cried happily she ran over to where Demyx was and gave him a big hug. Then she pulled back face twisted up. "Eww! You're covered in dry blood! You all are! What were you doing?"

Roxas never took his eyes off the game screen as he gave his robotic reply. "Taking out the garbage."

Kairi's face contorted some more. She didn't want to hear the details. The other girl, Paine just nodded her acknowledgement before leaving.

"You guys are filthy." Kairi complained. "Go take a shower."

"Can't." Was Riku's reply.

"Why not? The shower's open."

"Larxene called dibs."

Kairi waved a pink manicured hand dismissively. "Is that all? Puh-leez! She isn't covered in blood. Just do it. I'll make up something for you."

Demyx leaped out of his seat and whipped the girl in his arms spinning her around. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Kairi!" He put the wine haired girl down and turned to Roxas. "Come on Roxie, shower time!"

"Busy." The blond replied monotone. His entire focus was on the game as he expertly tapped away at the controls.

"But Roxie! We're dirty and gross and-"

"I said I'm busy."

The Mohawk teen huffed for the third time since they got back that day. "Fine, Riku?"

The silverette shook his head, somewhat amused by all this. "Nooooo thank you. I would like to keep my limbs."

Demyx shrugged. "Suit yourselves." He dashed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

It was mere seconds later that Larxene came running down the stairs. "It's about time!"

The blond Contractor was headed to the bathroom when Kairi sang. "I wouldn't do that if I were you~!"

Larxene turned her narrowed eyes on the girl. "Look sister, you've had your shower, it's _**my**_ turn now." She was about to turn the handle, until Kairi's continuous giggling got the best of her. "Okay fin. Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you?"

"Cloud just came in, in a really, _**really**_ bad mood. He just went into the showers."

Larxene stared at the girl like she had grown two more heads. "You're joking."

"Nope."

All was silent. Then Larxene fisted her hands and screeched. "I hate you Cloud!" The blond woman stormed back up the stairs.

Once she was gone, Kairi started giggling madly. It was well known that if Masquerade's best swordsman and Devil expert was in a bad mood, you stayed the hell away, lest you lose a limb.

Kairi was too busy giggling to notice the tall blond in black that walked in until he spoke. "Why does Larxene hate me?"

Riku burst out laughing as Kairi squeaked and spun around. Cloud rose a brow at their reactions. "I-I d-don't know!" Kairi waved her hands frantically to try to emphasize. All it did was make her look guilty. "I-I-I gotta go! Bye!" Cloud and Riku watched as the girl ran out of the room as fast as her feet could carry her.

"….What was that about?"

"Demyx stole the shower from Larxene, and you're the excuse."

"…I'm not going to cover them if she asks."

"Don't worry." Riku assured with a malicious smile. "Neither am I."

Cloud gave a small chuckle. Riku could be so evil at times. The tall blond let his gaze drift to Roxas, then he frowned. "You two are filthy. Why isn't one of you using the other shower?"

"I fear for my life." Riku explained.

"Busy." The small blond repeated.

"Roxas." Cloud warned.

"Busy."

Cloud sighed. He wasn't giving up though. He walked into the bathroom. When he came back out he was carrying one wet towel, and one dry towel. The man strode up to Roxas and swiftly paused the game.

Roxas scowled deeply and glared up at Cloud before him. "What the hell?! I almost had the wrinkly old hag!"

Instead of answering, Cloud wordlessly stripped Roxas' bloody shirt off. "What the hell!" Roxas cried again, only this time it was more alarmed than angry.

Cloud dropped the wet towel on the smaller blond's head and began scrubbing.

"Cl-Ou-ou-d-d!" The blond whined exasperatedly, futily trying to get away from the older man.

"If I can't get you to come to the shower, then I'll bring the shower to you." Cloud explained. "Now hold still. This won't go any faster with you squirming."

Roxas didn't let up on the squirming. In fact he was determined to get away now than before. "I can take my own shower dammit! Let go!"

Riku watched the show, very much amused. Cloud and Roxas looked so much alike that it was declared by Demyx that they were long lost siblings. Neither male had ever know his parents so it was a possibility. Riku guessed that Cloud secretly believed they were brothers. It would explain why Cloud always acted so brotherly towards the younger boy.

After getting nowhere Cloud finally said impatiently. "Dammit Roxas. Hold still or else!"

Roxas glared defiantly at the older boy. "Or else what?"

Cloud thought for a moment. Then his face broke out in a wicked grin. "I'm glad you asked. Riku would you mind giving me a hand?"

Roxas became quite alarmed at this turn of events. Riku developed a wicked grin of his own. "Sure. What do you need?"

Roxas tried to scoot away as Riku stood and came closer. "Stop. Get away. What're you going to do!?"

The small blond's attempts to get away were proved futile. Cloud had an iron grip. "Aw. Don't be scared Roxas." Cloud said playfully. "All we want to do is have a few laughs." To emphasize his point, Cloud poked Roxas' a few times, drawing some chuckles form the boy.

"N-no-! Hah ha ha. St-op!" Another well-known fact among Masquerade: Roxas was extremely ticklish.

Riku got the idea. He came up behind Roxas and started to dance his fingers along the smaller blond's sides. "What's wrong Roxas? We just want to play!"

"Ahahahahahah! S-St--o-o-op-p-Hahahahaha-Pleas-Hahah!" Roxas was quirming under the merciless tickling fingers.

"What was that Roxas?" Cloud asked sweetly. "I couldn't hear you, were you saying something?"

"St-Sto-Hahaha!"

"I don't think he's saying anything Cloud." Riku teased.

"Stop!" Roxas cried desperately. "I'll hold still! I'll hold still! Just stop!"

Cloud and Riku both pulled their hands back. They still had their wicked grins plastered on their faces. "Do you promise?" Cloud asked.

"I promise." Roxas gasped. "Just don't tickle me anymore!"

"Deal." Cloud grabbed the fallen wet towel and dropped it on Roxas' head again. "Your services will no longer be needed Riku….For now."

Riku chuckled as Roxas shot up in alarm. "But you just said-!"

"Kidding." Cloud reassured. "I was kidding."

Roxas grumbled and relaxed back into his seat while Cloud resumed scrubbing. Riku was chuckling back to the couh when Larxene came back in. She took one look at the room before screaming. "What the hell! I thought you were in a bad mood!"

"Why you believed Kairi is beyond me." Cloud stated with a smile.

It took Larxene a few moments to figure out what the man meant. It hit her like a ton of bricks. "DEMYX!!!!" She was already changing into half-beast as she ripped the bathroom door open and pounced in.

There were crashing sounds and more screaming. Soon a dripping wet Demyx came running out with a towel around his waist and a furious hyena on his tail. "I'm sorrrrryyyy!" The teen cried. "I won't do it again! I promiiiiisssseeee!"

"You bet you won't!" The beast roared chasing Demyx around the room.

This might have gone on for quite some time, had a certain blue haired man come. The moment Siax stepped out of the bathroom in his billowing black trench coat, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing. Siax watched their reactions carefully, as he always did. "I see I'm as welcomed as always." The bluenette said dryly.

Demyx stood and readjusted his towel, his fear of Larxene replaced with a serious demeanor. "How'd you get here Siax?"

"Through the mirror." Siax responded, gesturing vaguely to the bathroom he came out of. "How else?"

Roxas shifted awkwardly. "Why are you here?"

"Straight to the point then. There is another job for Masquerade. The ones for the job shall be Roxas, Riku, Cloud, Larxene, Kairi, Paine, and Luxord."

It was somewhat delayed, but every Masquerade member in the room aside from Roxas was furious.

"What the hell." Riku gritted out. "First you take him away to be tortured, and now you're sending him back out on the front lines when he needs to be recuperating."

"And why aren't I going with them?" Demyx asked. "You know I do best with Riku and Roxas.

Before Cloud or Larxene got a chance to complain, Siax held up a hand to silence them. "If we send you three together it will be too obvious. The job itself isn't anytime soon and besides all that he's a Contractor, he will heal by then."

Riku balled his hands into fists. Damn Siax. He blinked when Roxas spoke. "Fine. What's the job?"

Siax smirked at bit at Roxas' words. "I somehow knew you would say that."

"Screw you. What's the job?"

"I assume you know of the aristocrat party three days from now?"

* * *

"We're home!!!" Sora announced as the three newbies stepped into the castle.

They were greeted with the sight of three other people conversing in front of the stairs. One was Leon. The second was Zack, but they had never seen the last one before. He was a tall man in red with black hair cropped short and small round sunglasses. And from the looks of it, he had been in some sort of an accident, his arm was in what appeared to be a red sling.

They all turned to the three newbies when they walked in. Leon flashed them a smile. "Hey guys. Welcome back. How was lunch?"

Axel groaned. "Horrid. We didn't actually get to eat. The place was closed for no apparent reason." For the rest of the trip back, Sora, Zexion, and Axel fabricated a believable enough story to tell Leon so he would make them all lunch.

IT appeared to be working too. Leon rose a bro. "No apparent reason eh?"

Zexion shook his head. "None. No closed sign. No store hours on the door. Nothing. We even went next door to check if they might know where the owner was. No clue."

"I see." Leon was a bit skeptical about the story. But he would be lying if he said things like that didn't happen in Hollow Bastion.

Though whatever suspicious doubts he had were gone when Sora abruptly asked.

"Leon, will you make us something to eat?"

The older brunette chuckled with Zack while the third man let out a snort. "Was the store really closed, or do you just want some of Leon's home cooking?"

Sora grinned sheepishly. "I have no idea what you're talking about~!" The smaller brunette sang.

Leon flat out laughed at that. 'Alright, Mr. Sneaky, I'll make you lunch. Zack," He turned to said man. "Would you escort them to the kitchen?"

Zack nodded. "Come on boys. Leon and Auron would like some _**alone**_ time."

Leon smacked Zack's arm, hard. "If you ever suggest that again I'll shoot you into oblivion."

Auron glared at Zack over the rim of his tiny sunglasses. "If I don't shred him first."

Zack held up his hands defensively as he back out of the room. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry."

Axel and Sora followed the man snickering, Zexion just had a small smirk.

When they were gone, a familiar blond head peeked out of a door next to the kitchen. "Can I come out now Leon?"

Leon didn't even look at the kid. "No you may not. You can consider yourself in time out Hayner. Maybe this'll teach you not to go and screa around in arcades when I give you a job to do."

"I said I was sorry!" Hayner whined pitifully.

"Sorry doesn't cut it. You had no idea where they were."

"I told you! Midtown!"

"I knew that already. I want to know where in midtown."

"But-!" Leon glared coldly at the boy.

"Get back in there."

Hayner shivered under the man's cold gaze and did what he was told. When the door closed Leon let out a long, tired sigh. Auron watched with slightly raised brows. "Why again are you having the kids watched?"

Leon ran a hand through his hair. "I'm worried Masquerade might be going after them."

"They're back in one piece aren't they?" The older man pointed out.

"Yes."

"Then relax a little."

Leon sighed again. "I just can't. And I don't even know why."

"Leon!"

The brunetted looked up as Sora came bounding back into the room. Before Leon got a chance to say anything, Sora had run up to him and shoved a piece of paper in his face. "Can we come too? Canwe? Canwe?"

Leon took a second to move the paper out of his face so he could actually read it. It was an invitation Leon had received a few days ago. But….

"Sora, I'm going as a bodyguard."

Sora gave his cousin the biggest set of puppy dog eyes he could muster. "Plllllleeeeaaaaasssse?"

Insert sweat drop here. Leon sighed. "Fine."

"Yes!" Sora shouted leaping into the air.

"But!" Leon interrupted, bringing the boy back down to Earth. "If anything happens, and I mean _**anything, **_you're all out of there faster than asap. Got it?"

Sora saluted. "Yes sir!" He danced back out of the room singing. "Fancy party! Fancy Party! With aristocraaaattts!"

* * *

Okay, Review corner.

For Ldrmas - Sort of. Riku, Roxas and Dem are on one side. Leon and his group are on another, and Sora, Zexion, and Axel are stuck in the middle. Poor them

For Bokmal14 - Dun dun dun. What happens next. And Xemmy is an evil devil person that made a contract with Roxy. Dun dun duuunnn.

For Ocearna- ...I have no clue what a beta is, but thanks for the review.

And thank you everyone else for reviewing. More please! And I am always happy to answer your questions.


	9. There's a Hole in the Party

And here is my routine apology for taking so long. I was stuck on the other story and I want to publish those two around the same time.

Disclaimer: The normal one.

* * *

"I don't see it."

"You have to look harder."

"I'm looking as hard as I can Demyx."

"No, No. You have to look so hard that it hurts."

"How does that help me see it?"

"Trust me, it will!"

"What are you two doing"

Demyx and Sora looked up from the piece of paper they were huddled over when they heard Roxas' voice as the blond dropped the box he was carrying on the stage.

"Hey Roxas." The brunette chirped. "We're just looking at these scribbles Demyx found."

"It's called art." Demyx interjected poutish voice.

Eora simply rolled his eyes as he continued. "He says if you look hard enough you can see a crane holding a turtle."

Roxas rose a brow. "Really?"

"Yep!" Demyx acted like a child that had just been praised for doing something right.

"Well I can't see anything but scribbles."

Demyx frowned at the muttering brunette. "That's cause you're not looking hard enough."

"May I?"

"Sure." Sora held out the crinkled paper. Roxas took it and examined it with knitted brows.

"Uh, Demyx?"

"Yeah Rox?"

"This is Mandel's grocery list."

It was Demyx's turn to knit his brows together. "Mandel? The fatass, pompous, needs-to-get-a-life guard that wouldn't let Sora in the other day? That Mandel?"

"Yeah, see?" Roxas held up the paper and pointed at it. "Right here. It says 'Microwave dinners.' It's just viscously scribbled out."

The taller boy squinted real hard at the paper. If the two others hadn't known better, they would have thought had actually closed his eyes.

Finally Demyx's eyes opened wide with his new found realization. "Ohhhh! I see it now." Before Sora could complain about a crane carrying a turtle being impossible to find in a scribbled out grocery list, Demyx nabbed the paper out of Roxas' hand, crumpled it up, and tossed it behind him in one swift motion. "Forget the art. Thing's nothing but a piece of garbage."

Roxas gave a bright smile, which unnerved Demyx. Roxas only gave that smile when he was being sarcastically irritated. "Well then, if you two are done being crappy art critiques, then how about moving your asses to help the injured carry the boxes onstage."

As if on cue, Axel came over and dropped the box he was carrying next to Roxas'. "I second the motion." The red head stretched his back with a grunt.

Demyx pursed his lips together. "I dun wanna!"

Roxas was next to Demyx in a second. He grabbed the other by the other and twisted downward. Demyx yelped and tried moving with the Roxas to lessen the pain. "Ow! Ow! I'm sorry! I'll work! Let go!"

Roxas did and shot a cool look to Axel and sora. "Well? Get moving!" They didn't need to be told twice. The three scampered off, leaving the blond alone onstage.

Roxas sighed when he was alone. He winced and brought his left hand up to his face. It was shaking badly, excruciating coursing through it. It had been going on like this since the devil had returned him.

The 666 burn on his hand begun oozing blood. It started the morning after he was returned. He awoke top a throbbing pain, and a bleeding hand. He patched it up before anyone else was awake. Riku had assumed the smell of fresh blood was his back wounds reopening. But he wouldn't be able to use that excuse much longer. He gazed glumly at the bandage peeking out of his fingerless glove. His back was already close to being completely healed.

He stuffed his hand in his pocket of his shredded jeans, ignoring the pain it brought him. He would just wait it out. It would have to stop eventually, right?

Sora heaved a sigh of relief once the trio reached the safety of the storage room. "Does he always act like that?" He asked the Contractor laying atop a couple of boxes.

The mohawk teen looked up at Sora. "Sorry, what'd you sya?"

Zxel leaned an elbow on Sora's head, much to the boy's displeasure, voiced by a huff. "Does blondie always act like he's PMSing?"

Demyx frowned. "A)He's a boy. 2)He only acts like that when there' work to be done."

Sora decided against voicing Demyx' inconsistency as he shrugged Axel off him. "With the risk of getting my ear pinched too at hand, I think I'll move some boxes." The brunette moved into the towering stacks. Then remembered something. "Err…what boxes are we supposed to move?"

Axel walked over and took a box off one of the stacks. "The ones marked ST." He handed the box off to Sora, who was standing around with furrowed brows.

"ST? What does ST stand for? Swallow Tail?"

Demyx's had shot up when he heard Axel. "ST?" He was off the boxes and over next to the other two in seconds. "Have my ears deceived me, or did you say ST?"

Axel rose a brow as he took a box for himself. "Yeah, I said that. Why? What's it stand for?"

Demyx pumped his fist excitedly. "Yes! WhooHoo!" He began dancing around the room happily and singing. "Happy day~! Happy day~! Oh today is a happy day~!"

Sora couldn't help but smile and laugh as he watched Demyx. "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Demyx rounded a stack of boxes. When he came back into view he was striding with a scowl on his face. "There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled with shit and the vermin of the world inhabit it. But not for long…." Demyx sung the words in a deep voice.

Sora blinked. "Sweeny Todd?"

"Yes!"

Demyx cried throwing off his dark demeanor. "The best horror/tragedy play ever made! And it has some of the best music I've ever heard!"

Axel rose a brow. "Uhh….Isn't that play rather….dark?"

"Gruesome?" Sora added.

"Gory?"

"Explicit?"

"Dirty?"

"Exactly!" Demyx shouted, pointing a finger in Axel's face. "And that's what makes it so brilliant!" He spun around and clapped his hands together with a dreamy look in his eyes. "The drama! The action! The terror! The suspense! The love! The tears! It throws together all the necessities of a musical and a normal tragedy and the cast down gore, shocking the audience beyond belief while at the same time entrapping them to never look away! It's amazing! It's incredible! It's-"

"It's never going to happen if you don't get back to work." Roxas interrupted angrily from the doorway.

Demyx squeaked and spun around, nervously stuttering. "R-R-R-R-Roxas! When did you get here?"

Roxas had an irritated look on his face. "Right around 'There's a hole in the world.'"

Demyx paled. "Y-you were listening the entire time?"

Roxas gritted his teeth. "I was trying to see how long it would take for you to get back to work, now if you don't want me to slowly and painfully kill you without leaving a trace then I suggest you grab a box and _**move your ass!**_"

Demyx grabbed a box and ran out of the room. Axel was right behind him with his box. Sora just stood by and watched patiently as Roxas sighed and rubbed his temples. The blond spared Sora a side glance. "Why are you still here?"

Sora blinked. "Err….Well…this might sound strange, but are you okay?" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

Roxas blinked dumbly at the question. "What brought this on?"

Sora laughed nervously. "Well…I dunno…Something just seemed kinda off…"

Roxas smiled. "I'm fine Sora, you don't need to worry about me."

Sora leaned a bit closer and eyed him with a look that could only be described as suspicious, except it didn't suit Sora and Roxas had to keep from laughing at the boy's face. "Really Sora, I'm fine. Now help me with this big box here. I guarantee Demyx will be goofing off when we get back out there."

And sure enough, when they got out there Demyx was wobbling around the stage, attempting to balance a stack of books and three apples on his head. They did get a good laugh though when Demyx slipped and fell, smooching them into his pants. After cleaning up the boy's pants and stage there was a stage call.

Roxas leaned against the stage on ground floor with Demyx while Axel and Sora stood on stage with the rest of the actors. Their attention was on the director.

"As I'm sure some of you may have already heard, we shall be doing Sweeny Todd. There was some brief clapping and cheers from the cast and crew. The director waited for it to die down before speaking again. "Based on the new auditions and old actor's with experience I have already compiled a cast list. If you have complaints you may speak with me, or challenge and= actor for their part. I have scripts right here." He patted said stack. "Take one and start memorizing your lines. Practice will start ten-o clock sharp a week from today. That's all I had to say."

The director left. The cast broke up and scrambled to see the cast lists to find their parts. Sora and Axel held back. They were going to hang around and help Roxas and Demyx finish moving the rest of the boxes.

When all the other actors had finally gone was when Sora and Axel stepped up to look at the cast lists. Sora squealed when he saw it. "Axel! Axel1 You got the lead! You're Sweeny Todd!"

Axel laughed. "C'mon Sora, my leg's better. You don't have to say things like that to make me feel better." The red head wasn't good enough for the lead. "But thanks for trying anyways."

Sora shook his head and pointed to Axel's name on the list. "No really! You got Sweeny Todd!"

Axel looked, and sure enough, his name was listed next to Sweeny Todd.

The red head did a double take.

Then a triple take.

Then a quadruple take.

"I got the lead?!?!" He screamed, drawing laughs from the others. "There must be some mistake, I can't have got it! I'm- I'm-"

"Stupid?"

"Ignorant?"

"Perverted?"

"Infallible?"

"Intolerable?"

"Stupid?"

"Enough comments from the peanut gallery!" Axel shouted angrily at the laughing trio.

Demyx and Sora were holding onto each other to keep from falling, they were laughing so hard. Roxas was leaning against the wall.

They finally got all the moving and organizing, or fung shueing of the boxes done. Roxas stretched and yawned as they walked through the halls. "Man, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

Sora looked at Roxa, confused. "I thought you weren't under Gluttony."

"Figure of speech Sora." Axel said, fingers laced behind his head.

Demyx chuckled when Sora blushed, embarrassed. "Don't feel too bad, I don't get too many of them either."

"I'm not surprised." Axel muttered, earning a slap from Sora. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"Don't be mean axel." Sora reprimanded. Axel grumbled an unintelligible sorry. Demyx accepted it anyways.

Roxas looked at his phone. "Aw crud. Dem we gotta go."

Demyx blinked and looked at the smaller blond. "we so? It isn't that late." He pointed to the barely reddening sky for reference.

"I know." Roxas replied. "But we have to go shopping."

Axel snorted. He covered his mouth to hide his snickers when Roxas shot the man a glare. "What's so funny."

A snicker leaked out. "'We have to go shopping?' You sound like a chick."

Roxas crossed his arms. "Oh? What if I say it's to buy weapons of mass destruction?"

Axel sputtered. Hadn't thought of that one. "Err….Well I-" Sora chuckled, which caused the red head to shoot a glare at him. "What are you laughing at?" He growled menacingly at the boy, though all it accomplished was getting the other three to laugh. After a few moments Axel couldn't help but laugh as well.

When they calmed down enough Roxas spoke. "C'mon Dem, the shops won't stay open forever."

Demyx nodded. "Right."

They waved goodbye and went their separate ways. When they were alone Demyx turned to his smaller friend. "What are we shopping for?"

"Materials for weapons of mass destruction." Roxas replied, looking into the shop windows. "Namely bombs."

Demyx clapped his hands together happily. "Yay!" He hadn't gotten to make bombs in a while. He was the primary pyrotech in Masquerade. No one was better at making those tiny little plastics that pack a punch that could take out a building than he was.

"What are we using them for?"

"The party."

Demyx frowned. "The party? Why?"

Roxas examined some video game posters. "Didn't you listen. The entire party is a celebration because an old sponsor of ours is switching sides."

Demyx's face lit up. "Ohhh! So we're gonna blow them up!"

"More or less."

The gangs had what they have dubbed 'sponsors'. They are large, prestigious or illustrious men, women, or companies who barter with the gang for protection from the actions of said gang. They even fall so low as to hire the gangs to commit crimes for them.

Any sponsor that left Masquerade only lost the services that Masquerade provided. However, if the sponsor does something unforgivable, such as switching to Crest, then Masquerade would send a message to convey their great displeasure in this news. Or in Demyx's terms, blow them up.

The party was going to be so much more fun now.

* * *

"Quit squirming." Leon scolded. He was bent over in front of his cousin, wrestling with an annoying piece of blue cloth around the boy's neck.

Sora held still stiffly. "It feels like you're trying to hang me." The smaller boy complained. Ties were evil, evil things. Whoever invented them should be jumped off a cliff.

Leon ignored the boy's complaints and continued to fix his tie. "This party is formal dress. You're the one who begged to come."

Sora grumbled to himself. Zexion and Axel came in just as Leon finished.

Axel chuckled when he saw Sora. "Well don't you look handsome." Sora shot Axel a glare, daring him to say something else, merely earning more chuckles. Leon patted Sora's back and stood up. "Alright. Last call, go take care of whatever you need. Everyone else has left. Sora, go comb your hair down."

Sora scrunched his face. "No way! I agreed to wear the suit and neck loose, but you aren't touching my hair!"

Leon frowned. "You're the one who begged to come."

Sora groaned. That was translation for 'comb your hair down or you aren't going.' "Oh fine, but I'm not fiwing it if it messes up in the party."

"deal."

Sora walked past Axel and Zexion into the bathroom. He was putting up a childish fight and he knew it. Even Axel got cleaned up, the red head had patted his hair down and pulled it back in a French ponytail. But Sora didn't really care.

He walked into the bathroom and wet a comb before pulling it through his hair. In a few minutes his brown spikes were wet, flat, and parted against his skull. He hated this look. It reminded him too much of his father. He smirked lightly and walked out of the bathroom. No hairspray to keep him down. That way it'd be back to normal before they even stepped into the building. He glanced at the mirror on last time before leaving the room.

Roxas checked himself in the mirror one last time. Masqueraders were already in the building. Everything was set up for the night. Demyx put the bombs in place. Larxene and Kairi were set up to lure the sponsor into his office at the required time. Luxord, Cloud and Paine were going to make sure the guards would not interrupt them at the required time. And Riku and Roxas were in charge of directly dealing with the sponsor.

Seeing as how Roxas was the only Masquerade member the sponsor had seen, he was the only one that had to change his appearance. So his hair was dyed black and gelled down. It wasn't a nice comb over like what Sora had to do, it clung to his face and around his eyes, to mask the shape of his face. He was even wearing black contacts, so even if his eyes went red to check for other Contractors, no one would notice. Everything about him spoke ignore me to the onlooker, and that's the way it was supposed to be.

Riku walked into bathroom, which in his opinion shouldn't be a bathroom. A bathroom was meant to be used for taking care of business, cleaning up, and occasionally the activities of passion. A bathroom should not have carpet. A bathroom should not have glass chandeliers in them. And a bathroom should not have freaking gold fixtures!

The silverette had combed his hair back into a ponytail. His suit was as black as Roxas'. "You ready yet?" He asked the blond dyed black.

Roxas looked at the silverette in the mirror as he adjusted his tie. "Yeah, I'm done here." He turned and heaved a big sigh. "Gods I hate parties."

Riku chuckled. "Me too." They walked to the doors. "Let's just get this over with. Once it's done we'll do something fun, like buy a new video game."

Roxas smirked. "so I can beat you at that one too?"

Riku elbowed Roxas lightly. "Yeah, yeah. Now start acting more aristocratically."

Roxas rose a brow. "Is that even a word?"

Riku shrugged. "Don't know or care."

The two had a small round of chuckles before composing themselves and walking out into the main party.

The main room was filled with joyous classic music. The stage had old style musicians on it playing the music. There were couples twirling about the white and gold dance floor that had a gold star in the center. There was a large archway at two parallel ends of the room. One lead to the front entrance hall and other rooms like the buffet room. The other arch lead deeper into the house, to rooms like the sponsor's man office.

Riku and Roxas walked across the room to where Kairi was. She wore a pink dress that matched her hair. It had a slant cut for the bottom hem that brushed above her knee. It was strapless and hugged her figure tightly. There were several other males across the dance floor eyeing her vulgarly.

She smiled when she saw the two. "Hey there. Don't you look dashing?"

Roxas smiled back. "Thanks. You look good too."

Kairi giggled at the compliment. "Thank you." She leaned forward. "Take a look at the others."

Roxas and Riku followed her gaze. The other four were near the outer edge of the dance floor. Larxene was talking animatedly with some other guests, in the same red dress she wore to the auction house. Paine stood next to her silently. She wore a deep violet dress with long matching gloves. The dress had slits down the sides for easy movement and just barely brushed her ankles. Cloud and Luxord stood behind the two, both wearing matching suits and acting like body guards.

Roxas smirked lightly. They were rather funny guard, what with Cloud's gravity defying hair and Luxord's ears with multiple piercings. But he supposed it was fine, seeing how the were being ogled by plenty of woman.

Riku leaned over to Roxas. "Shall we get to work?"

Roxas nodded. "Let's go." Another job of theirs was to sniff out all the Contractors and Crest members.

Roxas took a deep breath as his eyes changed from blue to red under his black contacts. The world slipped into a black and white film for him. There was only color in the form of auras coming off the Contractors like Riku and Kairi.

Riku emitted a brown color while Kairi's was a light shade of blue. When he looked across the room to Cloud and the others there was a mixture of red, pink, and yellow. He looked away and scanned the crowd. There weren't any other Contractor's on the dance floor.

Roxas moved away from the wall and left the room to the main entrance hall. Riku and Kairi followed from close behind. The blond turned black scanned through the crowds. There were dots of Contractor aura in all the other rooms, all Crest members.

"Something's odd." Roxas said as he leaned against the wall of the buffet room. "We've been all over this place, right?"

Kairi nodded, mouth full of cream puff. "Mm, yeah. Everywhere but the offices and bedrooms."

"Right. And this is supposed to be an event to celebrate the sponsor switching over to Crest, right?"

Riku nodded. "Right."

"So then why isn't the guest of honor here?" He hadn't even smelt Leon while they scanned the rooms.

"Good question." Riku agreed. "It is worth finding answers to?"

Kairi licked a bit of cream off her thumb. "Probably not. He'll have to show up to show that he agrees with this sponsor. If he doesn't then the sponsor will lose face, and we won't be needed very much."

Roxas smirked. "Yeah. Embarrassment city to be dumped by one of us."

The crowd turned towards the door, talking animatedly. The three turned as well. "That sounds like him now…." Riku trailed off when he saw the entrance. Leon was there all right, but he wasn't alone. Accompanying him were Sora, Axel, and Zexion.

Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

* * *

I forgot to look at the reviews for questions. I will next time but thanks for readin!


	10. Third Party is Not a Good Party

I live peeps. Junior year is hard, blah, blah, blah. I'm sorry bout the wait. and this one is pretty darn long so enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: KINGDOM HEARTS AND ITS CHARACTERS ARE NOT MINE**

* * *

Sora stared at the open dance hall with awe. So this was how the other half lived. He had always wondered. Everything was ornate and bright. The ceiling had fresco paintings of Angels playing instruments, like harps and flutes.

It was all just so cool. Leon ruined his fun a couple times by leaning over and whispering. "Close your mouth, it's rude."

Sora closed his mouth, cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment from being caught like that. But it was all just so amazing. He had never been to anyplace like this before. He was from a backwater town that kept the 'eye for an eye' moral. But he really can't say that Hollow Bastion doesn't have those morals. After all, there were two rival gangs. He was pretty sure that if Crest took out someone from Masquerade, then Masquerade would take out someone from Crest in retaliation. The brunette frowned as he looked around. As amazing as this place was, he didn't really _**know**_ anyone here. And aside from that, they mostly all adults. Axel and Zexion were already talking happily with others. Leon and Zack were also busy, so Sora was left with no entertainment. Maybe he shouldn't have come after all.

Sora sighed and moved out of the room Maybe he could find something to distract him at the buffet.

Sora was halfway in the other room when he saw him. It was Riku. He was sure it was Riku. His hair was combed back into a ponytail. He was standing next to a girl with dark red hair and a boy with black hair that gave him a vague sense of Déjà vu, or whatever it was called.

But Leon had told him this party was for Crest. What was someone from Masquerade doing here?

……………….

They smart person would go tell Leon. And we all know that isn't Sora.

The brunette navigated his way through the crowd in a strange, zigzag fashion, just in case Leon was watching. He stopped in front of the trio. "Heeeeey…persons. How are you enjoying the party?" He had stopped himself before he had said Riku. If the other two were from Masquerade too, then he had to pretend not to know Riku, or their secret would be blow.

Riku was expressionless for a moment, contemplating his response. Then he smiled charmingly. "Hello to you too. We're enjoying it just fine. I'm Douglass." He waved his hand to Kairi. "This is my sister, Naomi." then to Roxas. "And my friend, Mr. Ronald Wesley."

Sora snorted. He had to turn away and cover his mouth to keep from laughing. Both Kairi and Roxas glared at Riku for the stupid aliases.

Riku simply smiled. "Something funny about our names?"

Sora shook his head, holding in his amusement. "Nothing, nothing."

'Naomi' smiled at Sora. "I saw you come in with the leader of Crest. Do you know him?"

Sora smiled brightly and nodded. "Yep, we're cousins."

Kairi smiled and rose a brow. "Really? Now that you mention it, I do see the resemblance."

Roxas nodded. "Same eyes. Same hair."

Riku grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. "Who knows? You may even become the leader of Crest one day."

Sora laughed and scratched he back of his neck, surprising Kairi. The kid wasn't afraid of Riku's teeth? Maybe he thought the were fake. That had to be it. "I don't see that happening. I'm no where near as strong as Leon."

Kairi giggled. "Don't be such a pessimist! You aren't Leon, so don't compare yourself to him."

Sora blinked. "But-"

Riku smiled. "You have your own strengths and weaknesses. You can do things your own way."

Sora flushed happily. "Th-Thanks!"

They look happy. Demyx huffed from his spot in the bushes just outside the window. He knew he wasn't assigned to this mission. He wasn't even supposed to be at this party. But he couldn't help it, he loved parties.

The blond sighed and laid his head in his hands as he watched his friends. He really

he still wanted to dance.

He smiled when he saw Zexion through the arch into the other room. He seemed happy. Demyx thought he looked cuter when he was happy. Demy liked Zexion.

The blond sighed again. That was probably a lost cause. The other didn't seem to like him.

Demyx sighed again. Then frowned. It was that guy again. He had seen him a couple times already as the party went one. It was a tall dark haired man with sunglasses and a black suit on. His hair was tied back in a long ponytail. When he had first seen him all Demyx found suspicious was the fact he wore dark sunglasses inside at night.

But the man had gone in and out of that room at least twelve times in the past hour. And every time he glanced over at Roxas, Riku and Kairi, but in the brief period that Kairi was in the powder room, the man still looked at the Masquerade members. It was downright suspicious. And Demyx intended to get to the bottom of it.

He waited for the guy to exit the room again. Demy followed the guy from the outside of the building, peeking through the windows to keep him in sight.

The man navigated his way through the dancers and happy chatters. He finally came to a door on the far wall, away from the crowds He left through it, not making a sound.

Demyx frowned. The door had a sign that warded guests away from it, meaning the guy was either someone who worked there, or someone who was breaking the rules. Either way, it made him all the more suspicious to Demyx.

The blond crept around the side of the house, keeping out of sight of the guards. He had memorized the blueprints of the building when he had set the bombs in place the night before. If he went through the parking garage he should be able to reach the off limits hallway the man went through and follow him from there.

Demyx slipped a this strip of metal out of his belt as he approached the door to the garage. The alarms would be off because of the party. He slid the metal into the lock and expertly picked it. It unlocked with a quiet click. Demyx slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

The blond abruptly dropped to the floor when he heard another door in the room open. It was a large garage, holding up to five fancy cars, two in the back row, three in the front (If Demyx paid any attention to cars, he might have been able to name them). So long as he stayed low to the ground, Demyx could sit for a while and not be seen.

That was the plan anyways, until he peeked over the edge of the cars carefully. It was the man he had been following. He had a cell phone pressed to his ear.

"It's me….Yeah….No doubt about It, it's him."

Him? Him who? Roxas? Riku? Or maybe the guy had been waiting for Sora? Demyx had to warn the. He would listen In a little more, wait for the guy to leave, then go find the others.

"Right…Right…Yes sir…No sir…I understand sir."

Sir this. Sir that. This guy was a freaking android..

The man snapped the phone shut and slipped it into his pocket, and then stood there.

Demyx held his breath. Had he been seen?

Moments passed agonizingly slow, until the man finally opened the door of the car closest to him. Demyx heard the thump of something hitting the car floor. Then the car door closed and man walked back out the way he had come.

It was at least a minute more until Demyx breathed easy. That had been close. He stood and walked over to where the man had been standing. He would warn the others, after he figured out what the man had thrown in the car.

It wasn't hard for Demyx to find the car. There was a hand print on the door handle. The man must sweat a lot, or have oily hands. Ick. He quickly opened it and bent over inside the car. The light didn't come on. Was the bulb out? Or maybe the engine was dead? Oh well.

Demyx bent in farther and felt along the carpet with his hands. There wasn't even any dirt in the carpet. Stupid rich bastards, wasting the car just so it could sit on display.

Demyx reached under the seat and felt around. His hand met cool metal. Just as he was pulling the object out, something rammed into his backside, sending him tumbling onto the car floor.

He wasn't given the chance to recover as the door slammed shut, followed by a chorus of clicks.

Demyx looked up in time to see the man he had been following walked back out the door. Damn, so he had known Demyx was there all along. The blond moved onto the car seat. No buttons, no switches, nothing to unlock the car door from the inside. Crap.

Demyx reared his arm back and slammed his fist into the window. All he got out of that was aching knuckles. Reinforced, probably bullet proof to boot. Of all the rotten days to forget his cell phone, he had to get this one.

The blond looked down with a scowl. What he had recovered under the seat was nothing more than a metal picture frame, without a picture. Which now meant he was either the center of some nefarious plot, or he accidentally stumbled into one. Either way, he was officially in deep shit.

* * *

Roxas checked his watch again. Social hour had ended a few minutes ago. Riku and Roxas had said goodbye to Sora and went on their way, while Kairi had already slipped off to find the Sponsor.

The two had walked quietly through the halls. They already had every inch of the mansion memorized from the blueprints and photographs. They could have navigated it with their eyes closed if it were empty. But it wasn't. There were guards about that were not consistent like the maps in their heads.

They had slipped into the Sponsor's office, and now were waited behind the window curtains in silence. It wasn't long before they heard the annoying giggling of the girls, and the even more annoying laughter of the Sponsor. Kairi and Larxene were getting through their jobs quite smoothly.

Roxas and Riku held very still behind the royal blue curtains as the door opened.

Larxene giggled as she led the Sponsor into the room by the arm. Kairi clung to the man's other arm, giggling ludicrously as well. "So this is your office? It's so…._roomy_." She pronounced the last word lustfully.

The Sponsor grinned wolfishly. He was a short, chubby man with thinning hair. He seemed to be constantly sweating and had this vile air about him. Every sentence he spoke always seemed to have a form of slurping noise with it, making him all the more disgusting. He reached a hand for Kairi's rear, but the other woman slapped it away.

Larxene wagged her finger. "Tut, tut. In due time sweetheart." She took Kairi's wrist and pulled her away from the slimly man. "We need to go _**prepare." **_Larxene's eyes took on the glow of her animal instinct, the predatorily one.

The Sponsor mistook it for lust and nodded. "Prepare all you want my lovely doves please hurry."

Larxene and Kairi giggled and waltzed out f the room, hips swaying suggestively.

The door clicked shut, leaving the room in silence.

Riku and Roxas slipped out from behind the curtains on either side of the large desk in the center. "Did you actually think you could get away scotch free?"

The Sponsor jumped and turned to face them, surprised. Roxas had slipped off his black contacts behind the curtains. His glowing red eyes bored into the Sponsor's frightened ones.

"Did you think we wouldn't' hear about your slimy double crossing? It wasn't like you were keeping it a secret anyways." Riku walked to the front of the desk and leaned against it. "After all, you're throwing a huge party and invited half the freaking town. What better way to grab our attention?"

The man laughed nervously and pulled out a handkerchief to mop up the sweat on his face and neck. "Y-you must be R-Riku. I've heard so much about you fr-from Roxas."

Roxas grinned and pushed the bangs out of his face, making his hair stand up in its usual fashion. "Wrong move there fat ass." His hair was still black, but the Sponsor could tell right away.

"R-R-R-R-R-Roxas! Y-you d-d-dyed your h-hair!" That was all the terrified man could get out. How unimaginative.

"Well your guards would throw us out before we could see you, and I really didn't feel like killing some innocent men merely doing what they were told. Besides, don't you think black makes me look good?" He batted his eyes mockingly, making Riku snort and the Sponsor sweat more.

"L-L-Look, About the whole p-party and s-s-switching sides th-thing-"

Riku held up a hand, effectively silencing the Sponsor. "Let me guess, you were going to spy on them an pass on their weaknesses and shit like that to us, that's your cover. But you were really just going to use them as shields against us while you sit in the lap of luxury."

The Sponsor didn't respond. Riku had hit the nail on the head. "You can't fool us." Roxas said. "No one can make fools of Masquerade."

First it was silent again. Then a loud chuckling began to fill the silence.

Roxas frowned. "What's so funny fatass? Are you becoming hysterical?"

The Sponsor looked up with a grin. "I was just thinking how much of a hassle it would have been to go look for you. Thank you so much for making things easier."

Riku scowled and stepped forward. "What the hell are you-"

The door flew open with a loud bang. And everything went white.

* * *

Sora sighed for the umpteenth time. When the Masquerade members left, he had become incredulously bored.

This time around though, he wasn't alone.

Axel had grown tired with the fancy schmancy aristocrats rambling on about their miseries of being too rich.

Phooey on them rich people.

Minutes passed and people happily danced on.

Sora was debating on going to bug Zexion when he noticed them. It was hard not to. It was that wine-haired girl from earlier and the bug-dog lady.

They came barreling out of the hall, catching the attention of other people. They panted and caught their breaths. Then the blond stood up and cupped her hands over her mouth.

"BOMBS!!!! THERE ARE BOMBS IN THE BUILDING!!!!"

There was a brief silence. Then everyone started screaming in a panic.

"Bombs!!"

"How?!"

"Where?!"

"Out! Everybody out!!!!!"

The people mobbed together, all trying to get out the front doors at the same time.

Sora and Axel blinked dumbly. They hadn't moved, and they weren't the only ones. Zexion stood with Zack and some others, all assumed to be Crest. Some other people moved in from the other rooms.

When the building was finally empty of pedestrians, Leon stepped forward, face giving away nothing. "What is the meaning of this _Masquerade_." He spat the last word out like it was foul venom.

Larxene panted, still trying to catch her breath. "This place is rigged with bombs that'll send it to the ground in twenty-eight minutes. The party was supposed to outside then for the fireworks."

Leon blinked. She made it sound like they wanted the building empty. "So defuse the bombs and get the Hell out."

Kairi glared. "Moron! We can't! We only have four bomb experts. Two are halfway across town and the other two are missing! And besides all that the guy that placed the bombs is among the missing! This building is going down!"

Leon frowned. "Why are you telling us this?" This was the perfect opportunity for Masquerade to deal with just about all of Crest, all at once. And yet she was there warning them.

Larxene didn't answer. She just turned and ran back down the hall, Kairi right behind her.

"Wait!" Leon yelled. He ran to the archway, but the two girls were already around the next corner down the hall. Leon scowled. Something didn't sound right about all this.

"No wait!" Leon didn't have time to turn around to see who was yelling as another figure ran past him down the hall. He swore.

"Sore get back here!" The boy ignored his cousin as he turned the corner. "Dimmit!" Leon rounded on his men. "How many people here know anything about bombs?" Three people raised their hands, two being Axel and Zexion, much to Leon's surprise. "Do you know how to defuse them?"

Zexion nodded. "Axel and I took some college courses."

Leon nodded. It wasn't much, but it was all they had. "slept into three groups, one de-bomber per group. Search and defuse. Leave no corner untouched. Zack, Tifa, you're with me."

They nodded and moved out.

Leon, Zack, and Tifa went down the hall the way Sora went. They sped through the hall, then came to a surprised stop.

"Holy shit." Zack breathed.

The entire hallway was coated in a white, stringy substance, clumped together in thick strands and hanging from the ceiling and walls. There was no order to it, hanging from every where it could. Some even covered parts of the floor.

"Is it thread?" Tifa asked.

Leon pulled a charm out of his pocket.. With a squeeze, it glowed and rapidly grew larger until the brunette was holding his GunBlade. He reached out with the tip of the blade and pressed it against a strand hanging from the ceiling. The substance was easily moved by the blade, but when he tried to pull it away, it stuck to the blade, and held. Leon had to give is a good tug before the blade came free, tearing along some of the sticky substance with it.

Zack picked it carefully off Leon's blade as they gathered close to examine it. "Web. Spider web. And very strong to boot."

Leon frowned and glanced down the corridor. "A Contractor." That was the only plausible explanation, unless some giant mutant arachnid escaped some secret laboratory deep under the building, but seriously, which is more likely in this fanfiction?

Anywho.

Tifa glanced at Leon. "Masquerade's?"

"Maybe. But why? Bombing the building should be enough."

There was a few seconds of silence. Then Leon spoke again. "Keep moving. Keep your eyes open and be careful."

The other two nodded and followed Leon into the shredded canopy of spider webs. They stepped cautiously over the web spread about the floor and ducked away from the web sagging from the walls and ceiling. It was very much like a group of burglars dodging red laser alarms, only the web were white spider webs and they weren't going to steal anything.

Leon stopped when he heard a groan. Before him was shattered glass from a mirror. There was shredded spider web and a trail of blood leading off down the hall. Directly across from the mirror was an open doorway. That was the best was to describe it considering that the doors had been ripped off the hinges. The source of the groan was next to the doorway.

Leon remembered seeing the blond during the party. The man was slumped next to the wall, hands pinned on either side of his head to the wall by the web. His torso was also pinned to the wall by the same sticky webbing. His head was slumped forward, bits of web stuck in his spikes.

And that was the only noise reaching his ears now from the room. Leon looked in, and could've choked at the sight. The room was more erratically covered in web than the hall. There were areas completely coated, and areas utterly untouched. The desk took the brunt of the web, covered from all angles. And stuck, stomach down to the desk, pinned by the webbing was Masquerade's own Riku. And that wasn't all. Sora was standing next to the desk, trying his best to pull the web off Riku.

Leon did a double take. Nope, still there.

That was all he could take. He strode into the office, catching the attention of the boys. "I want an explanation. Now." Leon said firmly, leaving no room for objections.

Riku gazed up at Leon. Being an enemy, he always made room for arguments. "I don't need to give you one." Sora looked worriedly between the two.

Leon swung his Gunblade, swiftly shredding the web pinning Riku to the table. "Look, your lady friends just caused a panic and emptied the building and my guys are searching the building for every bomb you guys planted. We have twenty-one minutes to find and defuse them all. And we just found you trapped like a fly. Either you tell us now, or I'll just let you go back to playing caught fly.

Riku frowned. Leon was such an ass. At least Larxene got the people out. "Fine. We were going to blow this place to the ground because the Sponsor was going to your side. Roxas and I were going to corner him in here, but we were tricked,"

Leon rose a brow. "Tricked? What do you mean?"

Riku sighed as the memory replayed in his mind. "We got him in here as planned, but this entire thing was a set up. He had struck a deal with some third party. They would protect him if he could hand over someone that could identify Contractors."

Leon's brows furrowed. "Identify….You mean you guys have someone like that?"

Riku bit his lip and nodded. Leon was the last person that needed to know all this, but he knew the man wouldn't let him go if he didn't tell him the whole story. "Roxas can. Some spider guy broke the door down and sprayed this web everywhere. He missed us until the Sponsor pulled a gun on us. He didn't hit us, but Mr. spider got Roxas in the stomach with some spike that grew out of his arm. It must have had some sort of venom in it, cause Rox was down. When I tried to help he got me an left me on the table. The others tried to stop him, but he plowed through them. They took Roxas and left about twenty minutes ago."

"And you expect me to believe you?"

Riku gritted his teeth. "The evidence is right front of you!"

Before Leon could retort, Sora spoke up. "He's telling the truth Leon! I saw the guy myself! You saw the hall right? That was from him trying to get me, he chased me in here."

Leon frowned at his cousin. "Sora…Why was he chasing you?"

"Because I saw him and the fat guy leaving with Roxas." Sora answered.

There was a nagging voice in the back of Leon's head, asking why Sora was defending Riku, but over riding that voice was another reminding him of the bombs.

"Do you know where the bombs are set?" Leon asked.

"I know where a majority are set."

Leon reached out and helped Sora pull the silverette off the webs. "Good enough. Tifa, Zack, call whoever you can. You're going to give them every last location you know of."

Riku nodded. There wasn't any point in keeping the plan in motion now. Hell, they might accidentally kill one of their own. Larxene and Kairi had rushed Paine out. The woman had slammed her head on the mirror in the hall. It was a bad injury. It had needed immediate attention. Demyx hadn't answered his phone, and Luxord was also missing. Riku assumed the Sponsor's men got him in some other part of the mansion.

The silverette cracked his stiff joints and walked into the hall. He ripped off the webbing pinning the blond to the wall. Then he carefully hefted Cloud over his shoulder and brought him into the other room. He laid Cloud on a web free part of the ground. Leon kept his eyes on Riku the entire time. They couldn't let him run off before he told him where the bombs were.

Sora sat next to Cloud and helped Riku take off Cloud's jacket and open his shirt. There was a long thin tear in the shirt, and on his chest a long, thin gash, leaking blood and a dark purple substance that made Sora's stomach churn when he looked at it.

Riku made a 'ch' noise. The spider freak stabbed at Cloud too.

Leon cleared his throat, catching Riku's attention. "I don't mean to stop the mental examination, but the bombs?"

Riku nodded and got to his feet. He walked over to a file cabinet and pulled out some large rolls of blueprints. He spread them all out, using the web to hold them open.

Zack, Tifa, and Leon handed over their phones. They had each managed to get a hold of a different group. Riku put them on speaker phone.

"Alright, I'm not going over this again because we don't have time so listen up and keep your traps shut."

The other Crest members plus Zexion and Axel were started when they heard the Masquerade member's voice, but they didn't argue.

"The bombs are set to go off every six minutes. There are twenty-four in all, three will go off at once every time. They all have different charges, so if you know you aren't to make it in time to defuse it, then stay the hall away from it. Now here's where they are."

* * *

Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. For the first time in his life, Demyx learned why there were laws about seatbelts.

He had been attempting to pry the door open when the guy that locked him in came back into garage. And he wasn't alone this time. Demyx was planning on delivering a swift kick to his face, but he surprised the blond yet again.

Roxas was slung over his shoulder. He seemed to be in some form of a daze with his eyes partially open and unfocused. The man had a gun pressed to the small blond's temple.

Demyx understood right away that the man was saying do what I say or he gets a bullet in the brain.

Demyx slowly got out of the car and followed the man around the car. He wasn't very fluent in gestures, but he was getting a crash course. The man had him reach into his pocket and pull out the car keys. As he did, he 'accidentally' brushed the man's bare hand. The spark between their skin that only Demyx felt answered his questions. The guy was a Contractor.

Demyx opened the trunk and climbed in. The man took the keys back and slammed it close.

And here he was, being thrown around the trunk of a car. He'd blame himself, but getting out of there was top priority. Time to figure out what this creepy kidnapping guy can do.

Demyx closed his eyes and focused. He felt his body morph slightly. Hair grew, his face became heavier. When he opened his eyes, his eyesight was totally whacked out, and his mouth was forced open, like he was showing a dentist his gums by clenching his teeth and opening lips.

He focused again until his eyesight was normal. It was then that it occurred to him what Lust form he had. It was some species of spider. He hand mandibles protruding from his mouth, forcing it open. The odd eyesight was from the multiple eyes, which he wasn't used to. The sensation of hairs growing was those little hairs that allowed spiders to crawl up walls, which thankfully was what kept Demyx sturdy on the floor. He focused more and made his mandibles retract.

So he and Roxas have been kidnapped by some creepy spider Contactor, and he currently had no idea why.

Why were they always after the blonds. Well technically Roxas had black hair at the moment, but still.

No time for thoughts like this. Demyx felt along the car until he found a tail light. It popped out after a few good kicks. He used it to look out at the road they were passing.

Good news was, they were still in the city. Bad news, Demyx recognized the buildings from the North parts. They were smack dab in the middle of Crest territory. Even if they got away, they would get no help or sympathy from this part of the city. They planned this out thoroughly. Demyx kept mental track of what streets they passed. They were going to need to know.

* * *

This is the review corner! Live from my living room couch!

For Lynx32627 and GloomyPearl: I started out intending to do Cleon, but nowadays I'm thinking of mixing it up for drama. XD

For BlackCatHikari: I go back and edit after I publish it.

For chara-the-fire-lover: The entire building, if I haven't made it clear. XD


	11. Bomb Party to Dead Party

Okay. I'm happy I got out sooner, but for all those that read my other story, I will update it this week. I just had prom and I still have weeks of school left. So be patient and thanks for reading.

**DISCLAIMER:** The normal.

* * *

Axel let out his breath as the timer stopped. Another bomb down. He placed the pliers in his mouth and held them between his teeth as he carefully boogied his way back out of the air shaft. "How many bombs was that?" Tifa asked as his feet touched the ground.

Axel spit the pliers back out into his palm. "Six. How many have the other groups gotten?"

Tifa checked her phone. "Zexion's….five….Riku's seven. That's eighteen all together. Six more."

Axel picked up the map. "Alright. The last two that are closest to us are in the bathrooms."

Tifa nodded. "Let's go."

They had decided that searching and disarming the bombs would be safer and easier if they lowered their numbers. The three groups were Axel and Tifa, Riku Sora and Leon, and Zack and Zexion.

Kairi had come back with Larxene and a bandaged up Paine. Much to their displeasure, Riku sent them away. They wouldn't go at first, but Riku convinced them that taking Cloud for medical attention was more important at the moment, and if they insisted on returning after that, then they could search for Luxord and Demyx, or better yet, track down Roxas. Larxene agreed to track Roxas while Kairi and Paine took care of Cloud. Larxene promised to call if anything came up.

Riku stared at his phone solemnly as Leon returned with his pilers. Axel had very briefly tutored Leon on the basics on these bomb diffusions. Leon glanced at Riku. "What's on your mind?"

Riku sighed and pocketed his phone, pulling out the map. "Same thing that's been all night." He muttered. His gang was his family. When they were hurt of missing, he was insecure.

Leon knew Riku was his enemy, and that he should be on guard around him, but he couldn't help but sympathize with him. Knowing that a member was in danger, it was an unsettling feeling that would remain with him until he knew they were safe. "You'll find him."

Riku blinked. He hadn't really expected Leon to comfort him, however awkward it was. "…You're right." Roxas was too stubborn to let himself be killed. They would find him. "Okay, next closest bomb in the garage."

Leon nodded and started walking, Riku right behind him, and Sora beside the silverette. It unsettled Leon a bit at how comfortable Sora was with the Masquerader, bit now was not the time to be worrying about that/ Defuse bombs now, deal with these two later.

When they stepped into the garage, Riku was immediately hit by a few things. Number one was that a car was missing. Demyx had recorded the number of cars in his reconnaissance. The next two main things were the scents in the room. Demyx. Fresh Demyx that wasn't supposed to have been at the party. There was also that Spider Contactor's, the Sponsor's, and Roxas'. Oh, and the garage door was wide open.

Leon crawled under one of the cars to defuse the bomb while Riku walked over to the empty parking space. There were fresh skid marks. All the scents ended there. Riku looked out into the night.

Sora came up and stood beside him. "Riku?"

"They were here Sora. They took Roxas and Demyx."

Sora's eyes widened. "Both? How? Demyx was here too?"

"What?" Sora and Riku turned to Leon who had silently joined them.

Riku rose a brow. "You already defused it?"

Leon shrugged. "I guess I'm getting better."

Riku smirked. "Well you are getting one intense crash course."

"No shit there. What were you talking about?"

Riku sighed. "We found Demyx sort of. He set all the bombs up as well as made them."

Leon rose a brow. "Right. What do you mean sort of?"

"He wasn't supposed to be here, but he was for some random reason, probably to be at the party. But he was in here, probably when they brought Roxas in. They took them both."

Leon frowned. "What makes you so sure of that? He might have stowed away with them."

Riku thought about it. "Maybe….But I doubt it." He glanced at his watch. "Right. Call everyone out."

Leon's frown deepened. "What? Why?"

"We're out of time LeonHeart. We got as many as we could, but the biggest ones are still in there. We don't have enough time to find and defuse them all before they go off. What'll happen will happen. I'm going to track down my friends. You do what you see fit."

Leon thought about Riku's words. Risk his crew, cousin and his friends, for the sake of a building? He didn't think so.

The brunette watched Riku walk through the garage door. "Good luck finding them."

Riku turned back to the two and grinned one of his toothy shark grins. "It's not very smart of you to do so, but thanks. See you back at the battlefield." He turned and disappeared into the night.

Leon had learned some things that night. He didn't realize it yet, but he and his cousin were thinking the same thing as they watched Riku go. 'I hope not.'

* * *

There were a few things running through Demyx's head at the moment. One was that it was nice to have a hole in the trunk, it let air in to keep it from getting too hot. Another was that it was a _**really**_ good idea he had kicked out the tail light, otherwise he would have run out of oxygen. And last was that he really should have known that the Sponsor would have taken them to one of his own buildings.

The sponsor owned a prestigious private school as well as a well-known gym right next to the school for the students to use. He obviously didn't use it very much. Masquerade members like to use it to stay in top form. It was in Stalemate territory, so the threat of Crest interaction was minimal. This was a building for the school board as a sort of bribe. He also rented out some of the extra floors to other businesses, like law firms or realtors.

They had pulled up to the building a few minutes ago. The Sponsor had noticed the missing tail light and swore up a storm about the 'stupid Masquerader' ruining his precious Lexus something or other. He demanded the spider Contractor kill Demyx, ignoring any excuse of how useful a live Demyx could be.

So the man pulled out his gun and stuck it through the hole in the trunk. Demyx had to think fast. As painful as it was, he bit extremely hard into his arm, drawing blood, and lot of it. He rubbed it all over himself and the floor of the car. The man fired.

Demyx dodged, but cried out in pain as the bullets imbedded in the trunk wall to attempt to sound like he had been hit.

It seemed to have worked. The man fired five mor times in the same spot. Demyx cried out for the first two, and then went silent. He slumped on the car floor in the line of fire once it stopped and played dead.

He heard the click of the trunk. He held his breath and let his lids hang part way down to make his death more believable.

It worked apparently, for when the Sponsor opened the trunk, he gagged and slammed the trunk shut. "He's dead. Let's go."

Demyx had been sure to 'die' with his head facing the tail light so he didn't have to move and make noise to peek out.

The spider Contactor had retrieved Roxas from the back seat of the car. The blond looked no better than he had when the car left the mansion. In fact he looked worse. His face had taken on a tinge of pink and his eyes were glassy looking despite most likely being open the entire ride here.

Demyx was really worried now. He had no idea what type of venom the Contractor excreted, and he had no idea how to treat spider bites anyways. Would it kill Roxas? Was his friend already dying? Please no.

He waited until he was sure he heard the glass doors closed behind the men before moving and breathing again. He needed to get out and find some way to contact the others. He had to save Roxas, but going in alone would be suicide. So he'd go in alone, but he'd make sure he had backup on the way.

He felt along the roof of the trunk. Some trunk roofs had latches on the inside for accidental lock ins. This apparently wasn't one of those cars.

Plan B. He pulled a pick out of his pocket and reached his arm out the hole. He just barely managed to reach the lock. He carefully slid the pick into the lock.

Unfortunately, his fingers were slippery from his own blood. The pin bumped a tumbler and slid out of his hands. He heard the 'tink' from it hitting the asphalt.

Demyx growled. Nothing was going well at all for him today. He screamed in frustration, not caring whether he was heard or not. "Damn it all!!!" He kicked out at the roof of the stupid car.

It gave way from the force of the kick and flew open.

Demyx blinked stupidly.

Gods how he hated it when the solution was so simple he couldn't see it.

He quickly jumped out of the trunk. He retrieved his pick from the ground. Cid threatened to charge him if he lost another pick.

As soon as that was taken care of, he closed the trunk. Fancy car, crappy alarm system. He jogged up the steps and slipped through the glass doors. They were left unlocked. The building must've been left open for one of the floors.

"Great outfit!"

Demyx started slightly and turned to the reception desk. There was a brunette woman sitting there. She had a kind smile and wore a simple pink dress. A bow that matched her dress shade tied back her long hair. She was somewhat familiar. "Wha-?"

"The costume party right? That's what you're dressed up for?"

"R-right…" Demyx said slowly. Maybe if he pretended he was in costume, he could get around and find Roxas.

"The realtors are on floor seven." The woman said helpfully.

Demyx nodded. "Right. I'll head up and join them in a little bit."

"Now why would you do that, when the surveyors are having the party on the third floor?" Demyx winced. Of course they'd have someone sly guarding the front. She just kept smiling. "Are you by any chance a friend of the poor young man they just carried in?"

Demyx was surprised at how perceptive and calm she was. He nodded. "A good friend."

The woman nodded. She reached down behind the desk. Demyx started forward, thinking she was trying to activate some silent alarm. Instead she pulled out a roll of linen wrap.

Demyx blinked stupidly again.

She gently took his arm and wrapped his wound, not like a professional. She made it a bit strewn, but still covered the wound with enough pressure to stop the bleeding. "There, that should protect it from infection, and you'll still look like you have a costume."

Demyx was gaping when she finished. "But…I….you…wha-" She cut him off by pressing a finger to his lips.

"You're wasting your time with meaningless questions. I would suggest you pick the meaningful ones and quickly if you want to help that boy."

Demyx nodded and she removed her finger. "Where are they now?"

"Top floor. There's only one office up there."

"Do you know when the Spons-I mean the owner plans to leave again?"

"No, but I know he's expecting company in half an hour."

"Did he say who?"

"No, but whoever it is is extremely important. He wanted me to make sure that no one would disturb them during the meeting. He said specifically to let no one have admittance to his office."

Demyx frowned. "But what about his guest?"

The woman shook her head, "He never said anything about him except that he's really important.

Demy bit the inside of his lip in thought. How was this guest supposed to get in the office? Was he coming before the half hour meeting? "How do I get up to his office?"

"There's a number pad in the elevator. 1899, that's the only way to get up to the office."

Demyx nodded. He stood up straight and walked over to the elevator. He paused halfway through and turned back to the woman. "What's your name?"

The woman smiled. "Aerith Gainsbough."

Demyx's eyes widened. "You…You're that one?" The one cloud-" He closed his mouth when she placed a finger over her lips.

"You're wasting time. You can talk to me after."

Demyx smiled and nodded. He turned and rushed into the elevator and typed in the code.

Ready or not fatass, Demyx was coming for Roxas!

….Shit! He forgot to call the rest of Masquerade!

* * *

Leon and the other Crest members watched as the building slumped onto one side. The bombs they missed. It was mostly the western most part of the mansion they missed, so when they went off, entire building collapsed on one side.

"Well…." Zack said, breaking the silence. "At least we saved half the mansion." He sounded lighthearted, but no one made any indication that they agreed with him.

Sora was too worried about Riku, Demyx, and Roxas.

Axel was worried about them being exposed.

Leon was _**NOT**_ worried about any of the Masquerade Members. (Denial) He was concerned about this 'third party interference'. Who's to say they wouldn't come after Crest members?

Zack frowned and looked at the people. "Oh come on! We're all alive and well! No one died! What's got you down?"

Leon looked over at Zack. "….Have you heard anything at all about this group? The one that ran odd with the Masquerade Contractors?"

Zack frowned and shook his head. "Nope." The answers were the same with whoever Leon asked in their group.

"So no one knows anything at all about this group?"

Tifa looked up. "We don't even know if it's a group. For all we know it could be just that one man they claimed they saw."

A light bulb went on in Sora's head. "You should go check on them."

Everyone turned their heads to look at Sora.

"What? You just said they, or him, could be dangerous to you. Why wait and figure out when they attack?"

Axel was starting to pick up the hints Sora was dropping. "Yeah, you don't have to actually attack them, just drop in, take a look around, figure out what they're up to, then leave. No harm, no foul."

Leon began smiling. "That's a good idea. We'll just check them out. We won't bother if they're clean."

Sora smiled. If they got involved, then they would have to see if Roxas is okay! Leon started giving out orders.

"Vincent, Tifa, Zack, and Hayner are with me on this."

"I'm coming too!" Sora announced.

Leon swiveled back to Sora. "No. It could be dangerous."

"This party could have been dangerous." Axel pointed out. "And none of us got injured."

Leon looked to the red head. "Not you too."

Zexion stepped forward. "We're all prepared to follow if you won't let us come, might as well take us."

Leon scowled. He wasn't at all pleased with this. Sora piped up again. "Think of it this way, they won't suspect you as much if you bring some powerless innocents."

After a long minute of thinking, Leon sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright. You can come. But the same rules I laid down for this party apply for this. First glance of trouble, you get out."

Sora nodded, having no intention of listening to those orders. Leon hadn't enforced them when they were in a building full of bombs, and this would be no different.

Leon nodded. "Alright Vincent, there's a scent over by the garages. Track it through the city. We should be able to find them that way."

Sora watched the tall dark haired man walked away from the group. He must be Vincent. He blinked when he realized something Leon said. "Hayner's in Crest!?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Riku walked through the dark streets, stopping to smell the air every now and then. He had already called the other members of Masquerade to let them know the situation. Back up was on its way.

Riku got turned around a few more times than he would have liked, but he knew he was hot on the trail when he found on the tail light in the street. It wasn't long before he found the corporation building. The missing car from the garage was there, no tail light included. The trunk was wide open, reeking of gunpowder and Demyx's blood.

Riku growled. Damn. Demyx was hurt. (Never believe dead unless a body was found.)

The silverette sprinted up the steps to the building and ran for the elevator. He paid no attention to the receptionist as the doors closed.

When Roxas had first come here nine months ago to make the deal, he told exactly what floor to find the man on. But the code might have changed.

He suddenly realized that the smell of Demyx's blood was even stronger in there. He looked down to the cream colored floor. 1899 was written on the floor in blood.

Gods bless that annoying as hell blond.

He typed the code into the elevator pad and rode it straight up to the top. When it got to the top floor he knocked out the ceiling square for the emergency exit and climb out before replacing it. He heard the doors open with a ding, followed by a barrage of bullets.

Riku could feel them hit the back wall of the back wall of the elevator. Always expect the unexpected. Plus Demyx already came up through here, so the had to be expecting him.

The silverette grabbed onto some thick wires and got himself some proper footing before taking both feet off the elevator roof. He waited until the bullets stopped and listened.

Some footsteps approached the elevator. "It's empty sir."

"Someone came up. Keep your guard up." Riku could tell by the slurping that it was the Sponsor.

"Mmmm!" It appears they caught and gagged Demyx. The Gods can stop blessing him now.

"Oh hush. We'll deal with you in due time." That must be the Spider Contractor that attacked them. Riku was itching to go down there and rip him limb from limb and make him give his friends back.

"Mmmmmm!"

"Send the elevator back down." He heard the click of one of the men reaching inside and pressing the button. The door slid closed. Riku waited until the elevator had begun moving before digging his teeth into the large electric wore running down the shaft. It only took a few chomps before the elevator stopped.

"What happened?"

"The elevator stopped Sir."

"I see that. _Why?_"

"I'll find out sir."

The grunts manually pried the elevator doors open. Riku kept close to the wall as light flooded in. The elevator had only gone halfway down when it stopped. The grunt poked his head over its roof to peer at the top of the shaft. The idiot must have poor eyesight because he didn't see the busted cable or Riku. Typical of the slimeball to hire half asses.

The grunt pulled his head out. "can't see anything from here sir. Something must have happened downstairs."

"Take the stairs and go see."

Ah-Ha! There was another way to get to this floor before besides the elevator. Now all Riku had to do was find it after he charged in, guns blazing, take down the Sponsor and his hired lackey spiderman, rescued Roxas and Demyx. Where the hell was that backup?  
There was a loud clank and fading footfalls followed by another clank. Stairs hidden behind a trap door of some sort. Noted.

There was a long prause with only 'mms' and noises of rustling which Riku assumed was all Demyx.

Well his backup was taking forever and he didn't know what they were waiting for, but he wasn't going to wait with them/

Riku slid down the cable and effortlessly jumped through the gap onto the floor. The Sponsor made a choking sound. "R-R-Riku! B-B-Bu-"

The silverette ignored the man's mindless babble to get a good idea of the room's layout. It was circular, aside from the elevator shaft. The walls were all bullet proof windows with the shades drawn so no one outside could see inside. The desk was opposite the elevator. Roxas was strewn across the desk, his face was turned away, so Riku couldn't see if he was awake or not. Demyx was tightly with several layers of duct tape in front of the desk. He was extremely happy to see Riku.

The spider Contractor stepped between Riku and the desk. "You don't give up easily do you?" He hissed.

Wow. He spoke. Riku shifted into a flexible position for attacking and dodging. "Give me back my friends and I'll leave."

"The stupid one can go but the tiny one stays. Things have already been set in motion. He's coming for him."

Riku growled. "Who? Who is it you're working for?!"

"I do not have to tell you." The spider man said coolly. "But if you must know, he is a dear _**friend**_ of the little one."

Riku furrowed his brow. The emphasis on friend was throwing him off. And why Roxas? Who-?

The silverette's eyes widened in realization. No way. No effin way. "That's a breach of contract!" He snarled.

The man merely smirked. "Helping a human kidnap him and then meeting with that same human is not a breach of Contract."  
Riku snarled again. "I will kill you. I will rip you limb from limb alive and leave you to dry and die out in the desert."

The man chuckled, large spider legs growing out of his back. They lifted him off the ground as he used them to stand. "I would love to see you try."

They were about to charge, when the speaker phone on the Sponsor's desk came on. "Excuse me sir, but you have some guests to see you."

The Sponsor frowned. Who could possibly want to see him at this hour? "Who are they?"

"They say they are Crest. They are on their way up now."

Riku and the Sponsor stared at the intercom in shock. What the hell were they doing there?!

The spider Contractor took advantage of the silverette's distracted state and charge at the him, slamming him into one of the window walls. Riku grunted and clutched at the hairy spider legs holding him pinned to the wall. "Get off!"

The man smirked and lifted one of his human arms. "You are a nuisance that I am going to do my master the pleasure of getting rid of you."

Riku snarled. "Like hell!" He kicked, but his legs swung in the air uselessly. The Contractor laughed and brought his arm up.

Clang! Slrpt!  
It had happened so fast that Riku had almost not seen it all. Almost. A trap door flew open in the floor. A white blast flew out from it and blew the spider Contractor's head clean off. Blood gushed out a moment later, coating Riku and the window in dark red.

Luxord stepped out of the trap door, catching his dice as the flew back to him. "That was for my friends, asshole."

Riku sighed in relief. The body fell away from him and the silvertte landed nimbly back on his feet. "Where have you been?"

Luxord walked over to Demyx, waving a hand dismissively. "Locked in a closet." He kneeled down and ripped the duct tape off Demyx's face in one swift motion.

"Yeouch! Easy!" With the Contractor dead, they didn't have much to worry about anymore. The Sponsor fainted at the sight of the headless brother.

"What happened to Crest?" Riku asked. He walked over to Roxas. The blond's eyes were closed and his face was as red as a pepper. He probably slept through the whole damn fight, which worried Riku.

Luxord looked up from his work with the duct tape. "Crest? What are you talking about?" His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. "It's just me and Xigbar. We didn't see anyone from Crest."

Riku frowned. "Then why did the secretary say I was?"

"It was Aerith!" Demyx chirped. "She must have been trying to help!"

Riku rose his brows. "That was Aerith?" Everyone in Masquerade knew about Aerith. Cloud didn't stop talking about her. She was a childhood friend from way back when. "I didn't exactly say hello. I ran straight."

Demy shrugged once all the duct tape was off. "I did, sort of. I asked how to get up here." The teen eyed the headless body. "That was…..very anticlimactic."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Oooo, Demyx played the dictionary game." The blond huffed. "No one cares Demyx. The asshole had it coming for crossing us, and most of what we do is anticlimactic."

Demyx pursed his lips. He knew Riku was right.

"_Oh dear, you seemed to have killed my messenger._"

Demyx jumped, frightened by the sudden booming voice while Riku and Luxord got in their fighting stances.

The Mohawk teen shivered. "It can't be…..the Sponsor was meeting _**HIM**_?"

Riku gritted his teeth, holding back a feral snarl. "The Sponsor was a clueless puppet. The Contractor was the mastermind behind the fatass, but he wasn't the big boss."

Luxord smiled nervously as the air in the room thickened. "He mentioned that when he locked in the closet."

"And he mentioned it before he died." Riku reminded. "Who else would it be besides-"

Riku had to stop and turn away when a white hot light burts from a flame that spontaneously roared to life a few feet from the trap door. He couldn't look. Neither could Demyx, or Luxord, or Sora, or Axel.

Yep, Sora and axel. Crest _had_ arrived at the building. The rest of them were trying to get information. Axel and Sora went to find a men's room. Along the way they found a secret door, and like any other curious idiots, they investigated. They were now just steps below the office.

The flame continued roaring wildly as two figures slowly formed in the center. They stepped out, single file. The flame immediately turned to smoke afterwords.

The first was a familiar blue haired Siax, looking grim as usual with his scarred face. The other was a darkly tanned, silver haired man. He had eyes that glowed like the fire that burned only moments before. His hair had hanging spikes that looked sharp enough to pierce metal, and spikes on top of his head that looked like little horns. Riku moved his hand away from his eyes and growled.

"Xemnas."

* * *

The only review talk today is to cherrybomb. Thank you for the offer, and I will fix the errors when I can. I might take you up on the offer.

That's all, thanks for reading.


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